Exporting Bovine Embryos to Australia

6 October 2009

bovembec.aus

Ref: AE-AU 05L

1. Statutory authority

Pursuant to section 60 of the Animal Products Act 1999:

(i) I notify the following overseas market access requirements, entitled bovine embryos to Australia

(ii) Revoke OMAR B BOVEMBEC.AUS 10.04.08.

This notice takes effect from date of signing.

Dated at Wellington on this 20^th day of October 2009.

Signed: Matthew Stone BVSc MACVSc MVS (Epidemiology)
Group Manager
Animal Imports and Exports
Border Standards Directorate
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand
(pursuant to delegated authority)

2. Australia Requirements

Bovine embryos exported from New Zealand to Australia must comply with the import requirements of Australia listed in this notice as follows:

2.1 An Import Permit is required for the exportation of bovine embryos to Australia.

2.2 An Official Veterinarian of the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, must certify, after due enquiry:

2.2.1 The embryos for export were:

2.2.1.1 either in-vivo derived

2.2.1.2 or in-vitro produced (IVP).

(To be deleted as appropriate)

2.2.2 Embryos and/or ova were obtained from live donors of known identification.

2.2.3 The New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has approved:

2.2.3.1 the team veterinarian who either supervised the collection and processing of in-vivo derived embryos or the in-vitro embryo production team according to the requirements mentioned in the notes

2.2.3.2 the processing and storage facilities according to the requirements mentioned in the notes

2.2.3.3 in the case of IVP embryos, the processing laboratory responsible for the maturation, fertilisation and culture of the embryos for export.

2.2.4 The processing laboratory (including any mobile laboratory) was under the direct supervision of the team veterinarian, and was routinely inspected by an Official Veterinarian.

2.2.5 The donor females:

2.2.5.1 were from herds that, at the time of collection, were officially free of bovine tuberculosis

2.2.5.2 were healthy and free from clinical evidence of infectious diseases transmissible by embryo transfer throughout the collection period

2.2.5.4 were tested negative to either an intra-dermal tuberculin test or a blood tuberculosis test during the 12 months immediately prior to collection.

2.2.6 The embryos in this consignment were fertilised:

2.2.6.1 either by a bull with the same health status as the female donor

2.2.6.2 or with semen collected at a semen collection centre approved by the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to export bovine semen to Australia

2.2.6.3 or with semen imported from a third country, which met the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s import conditions.

(To be deleted as appropriate)

2.2.7 At the time of collection and processing, the embryo production team and processing laboratory complied with the relevant recommendations of the OIE Code.

2.2.8 The embryos were collected, processed and stored in accordance with the relevant recommendations of the OIE Code.

2.2.9 The laboratory has a quality assurance programme to ensure that where culture media and cells, and biological products of animal origin are being used, they are free from living pathogenic micro-organisms. All media were sterilised by methods recommended by the International Embryo Transfer Society (IETS) and handled in a manner to ensure that their sterility was maintained. Antibiotics were added to all fluids and media as recommended by IETS.

2.2.10 The embryos were washed with trypsin in accordance with the IETS recommendations.

2.2.11 All laboratory tests for animal pathogens were undertaken at laboratories approved by the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to undertake testing for export purposes.

2.2.12 The embryos for export to Australia were identified, and have been stored since the end of the collection period until export under the supervision of an Official Veterinarian in containers in which no biological material other than semen, embryos or ova of equivalent health status was held.

2.2.13 The shipping container, which contains only new liquid nitrogen, was:

2.2.13.1 either new

2.2.13.2 or prior to loading, the shipping container was emptied and inspected, and any loose straws removed. The shipping container, including all surfaces contacting the straws, was disinfected. Name and active ingredient. Date of disinfection.

(AQIS accepts the following disinfectants: 2% available chlorine; Virkon at manufacturers recommended rate; irradiation at 50kGy.)

(To be deleted as appropriate)

2.2.14 Prior to export, the shipping container was sealed by an Official Veterinarian, using a seal(s) that bears the marks. Serial number of the shipping container (if available).

3. Definitions

For the purposes of this document:

Any term or expression that is defined in the Animal Products Act 1999 and used, but not defined in this document, has the same meaning as in this Act.

Explanatory note

This OMAR is based on the export certificate for bovine embryos to Australia dated 6 October 2009.

Additional Information on OMAR Notification: BOVEMBEC.AUS 06.10.09

1. This OMAR replaces the one dated 10 April 2008. Only editorial and formatting changes have been made. The certificate was approved by AQIS in an email dated 16 October 2009.

2. These requirements are the minimum requirements for importation into Australia. Different zones of Australia have different animal health status and state or territory veterinary authorities may require further testing or certification for certain diseases before direct export into a specific zone.

3. Section III of the Zoosanitary Certificate (Information concerning the semen): the date of semen collection or natural service is required to verify the health status of the donor bull, should tracing be required. Tracing the actual date of collection will be necessary in situations where frozen semen has been used and the straws were marked with a batch number, rather than the date of collection.

4. The embryo collection team veterinarian needs to keep all supporting documentation to verify clauses 2.2.5 and 2.2.6.

5. Prior to 1 February 2009, the team veterinarian must have been inspected at least annually, and approved by MAFBNZ. The team veterinarian must have complied with the MAF requirements in the GUIDE FOR APPROVAL OF EMBRYO COLLECTION CENTRES EXPORTING RUMINANT EMBRYOS FROM NEW ZEALAND (IAT-EDEG-004; July 2003). If the animals were not kept on centre, the collection premises or facilities where the animals were held did not need to meet the animal isolation requirements as specified in the guide above. During the inspection, embryo/oocyte collection, processing and storage must have been observed.

6. From 1 February 2009, the team veterinarian must comply with Parts 8 and 9 (REQUIREMENTS FOR EMBRYO TEAMS and REQUIREMENTS FOR EMBRYO TEAM VETERINARIANS, respectively) of the version of the OAP current at the time of collection, processing and storage.

Section 61.A of the Animal Products Amendments Act 2005 states that 'The Crown is not liable, and nor is the Director-General or any employee of the Ministry liable, for any loss arising through the refusal or failure of the relevant authority of an overseas market to admit export animal material or animal product to that market'.