Exporting live bees to Canada

19 January 2012

livebeec.can

Ref: AE-CA-25L
Date: 19 January 2012

1. Statutory authority

Pursuant to section 60 of the Animal Products Act 1999:

i) I notify the following overseas market access requirements, entitled Live Bees (Apis mellifera) to Canada.

This notice takes effect from date of signing.

Dated at Wellington this 30th day of January 2012.

Signed: Dr Alan Macleod BVSc, Dip Agric Sc
Acting Group Manager
Animal Imports and Exports
Import and Export Animals Directorate
Standards Branch
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
(pursuant to delegated authority)

2. Canada requirements

Live bees (Apis mellifera) exported from New Zealand to Canada must comply with the import regulations of Canada listed in this notice as follows.

2.1 An Import Permit is required for the exportation of Live bees (Apis mellifera) to Canada.

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

2.2.1 New Zealand is officially free of Small Hive Beetle (Aethina tumida), Africanized genetics, Asian Honeybee (Apis cerana), Asian mite (Tropilaelaps spp.), and European Foulbrood. These diseases are notifiable in New Zealand.

2.2.2 New Zealand does not permit the importation of live bees.

2.2.3 The bees are derived from an apiary, or apiaries, of origin that were free from visible clinical evidence of American foulbrood (AFB) and Varroa mite. Within the 90 days prior to export, a random selection of bee colonies/hives in the beekeeping export operation were examined;

2.2.3.1 In the case of AFB, at least three (3) brood frames per colony/hive were inspected, and there was no visible clinical evidence of AFB

2.2.3.2 In the case of Varroa mite, testing for Varroa using alcohol washing of bee samples (200-300 bees per colony/hive) showed that Varroa was not detected, or was present at less than one percent (1%) or 1 mite per 100 bees tested.

2.2.4 The food supplied for the bees during this shipment does not contain honey.

2.2.5 When transport is by air, the bees will be transported in accordance with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Live Animal Regulations.

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

These overseas market access requirements are based on the current export certificate for Live Bees (Apis mellifera) to Canada, dated 19 January 2012.

Additional Information for OMAR Notification: LIVEBEED.CAN 19.01.12

This OMAR is a new OMAR. The certificate was approved by CFIA in an email dated 26 January 2012.

1. An Import Permit is required.
2. Clause 1 of the export certificate;
   • free of Africanized genetics means free from clinical or epidemiological evidence of African honeybees, Africanized honeybees (Apis mellifera scutellata), Brazilian hybrids, or other hybrids
   • free of Asian Honeybee (Apis cerana) means free from reports of the Asian Honeybee (Apis cerana), and Asian honey bee hybrids
   • free of Asian mite (Tropilaelaps spp.) means they have not been diagnosed and there is no evidence of their existence at this time in any part of the country.
3. Clause 3 of the export certificate - for the assessment of any export operation by the examination and testing for AFB and Varroa, the following inspection level is to be applied:
   1. In a beekeeping export operation that has 500 colonies/hives or less, inspect forty (40) colonies/hives from four (4) separate apiaries.
   2. In a beekeeping export operation that has more than 500 colonies/hives, inspect sixty (60) colonies/hives from at least four (4) separate apiaries.
4. Clause 3 if the export certificate – Options for Queens:
   1. For queens shipped in queen cages that have been collected from mating nuclei immediately prior to shipping, the inspection for Varroa and AFB can be accomplished by inspecting the number specified in 3.a) or 3.b) above using either option (i) or (ii):
      1. The queen donor/support colonies/hives associated with the establishment and support of the nucs; or
      2. The mating nucs.
   2. For queens shipped in queen cages that have been kept in queen banking colonies, the colonies themselves must be inspected as per the number specified in 3.a) or 3.b) above.
5. Inspecting for Varroa mite for any export operation includes:
   Colonies/hives must be assessed by alcohol washing of bee samples (200-300 bees/colony). The sample of bees must be immersed in a solution of alcohol, and the container should be shaken for a period of at least two (2) minutes. If Varroa is not detected or is under one percent (1% or 1 mite per 100 bees tested), bee shipments will be allowed.
   
   The testing for Varroa may be done by:
   1. an independent laboratory; or
   2. a beekeeper approved by an AsureQuality Recognised Person.
   
   If Varroa is found at levels of 1% or above, to be eligible for export the bee hives (or bee colonies in the queen rearing apiaries) must be treated with a product that is registered for use in NZ against Varroa, and then be re-tested prior to shipping to confirm that the level of Varroa is below 1%.
6. Clause 4 of the export certificate - a declaration pertaining to the food supplied to the bees, signed by the shipper, must accompany the shipment.
7. Clause 5 of the export certificate – the bees must be transported in accordance with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Live Animal Regulations, which require that suitable arrangements have been made for the feeding, watering and care of the bees during transportation.
8. Should the disease status of New Zealand change between the time of issue of this export certificate and the time of entry into Canada, MAF Biosecurity must be notified as soon as possible. The shipment may be refused entry into Canada, or subject to additional quarantine and testing or treatment. Importers will be responsible for any additional incurred costs.
9. Shipments of live bees must be packaged to prevent the escape of bees.
10. The original or a copy of the signed import permit and any other export documentation pertaining to the shipment must be provided for inspection at the first port of entry. The HS code for Queen bees is 010690210907, and for Packaged bees is 010690210906.
11. The bees must be shipped by the most direct and appropriate route from the point of export to the address of destination in Canada. Transshipment through another country (other than described in clause 12 of the notes below) requires written authorization from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Written approval for routing of the shipment of animals through another country must be attached to the permit and accompany the shipment. With the exception of changing planes, the bees must not be off loaded at any port of call en route.
12. Acceptable routing will be from Auckland, New Zealand, via San Francisco or Los Angeles, USA; Seoul, Korea; Singapore; Hong Kong; or London, United Kingdom; or the CFIA may also approve alternative routing options on request. Please note that for transit through Hawaii to be permitted, shipments must not leave the airplane. Exporters must ensure that routing is approved by the transiting country.
13. Transit must be in a manner that (i) precludes the outside storage of the bees in transit, (ii) the shipment remains in a secure area on the airport premises, inaccessible to bees or bee pests (such as small hive beetle, where applicable) and is kept separate from any other animals and animal products, and (iii) includes verification by a representative of the exporter or importer that the outer covering of each shipment is free of hitch-hiker bees, prior to departure for Canada.
14. Shipments transiting the USA and arriving by land are subject to a physical inspection for small hive beetle by a CFIA inspector at the first point of entry. The shipment must enter Canada through a port where CFIA inspection is available. Prior arrangements must be made to ensure that inspection will be provided at the appropriate time.
15. In addition to the requirements of the CFIA, the importer must also comply with any additional requirements imposed by the Canadian province of final destination and any other Canadian province that the honey bees transit through en route to their final destination. The provincial apiarist(s) must be contacted prior to importation to obtain the current requirements. At the time of issuance of an import permit, information may be released to the provincial government of the province of destination for the enforcement of that province's beekeeping legislation.
16. The importer is responsible for all costs incurred or associated with any testing or treatment of the animal(s) or thing(s) that may be required under the import permit or under the authority of the Health of Animals Act or the Health of Animals Regulations. The importer shall pay all fees for services required in respect of the importation under the National Animal health Program Cost Recovery Fees Regulations in place at the time of importation.
17. Canada has clarified that consignments of bees transiting through Canada en route to other countries (e.g. EU) do require an import permit, but do not require a transit certificate.
18. Wood packaging material – brokers/importers should attest to one of the following with respect to packaging material used to ship the bees:
    1. wood packaging contained with shipment displays the ISPM No. 15 compliant stamp
    2. wood packaging material is accompanied by a Phytosanitary Certificate i.e. approved treatment per ISPM No. 15.
    3. wood packaging material is made out of manufactured wood which is exempted from ISPM No. 15
    4. no wood packaging contained with shipment.

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'