13 September 2021
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Notice to Industry 1: Amended administrative conditions for all ruminant reproductive material (PDF 81KB)
Notice to Industry 1: Amended administrative conditions for all ruminant reproductive material (Word 161KB)
Attachment 1: Summary table for semen (Word 25KB)
Attachment 1: Summary table for semen (PDF 75KB)
Attachment 2: Summary table for embryos (Word 27KB)
Attachment 2: Summary table for embryos (PDF 126KB)
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Introduction
This Notice to Industry is to inform stakeholders that the wording of administrative conditions for imports of all ruminant reproductive material has been amended to clarify that copies of laboratory reports must be provided for the disease testing listed in the table attached to the export health certification.
The following wording will be included in all future import permits for bovine, ovine, caprine and cervine semen and embryos:
Each consignment of ‘COMMODITY’ must be accompanied by:
Laboratory reports for all testing. Copies of the laboratory reports must accompany the shipment and be endorsed by the official government veterinarian.
The department will temporarily continue to accept a summary table of test results for bovine germplasm without accompanying laboratory testing results, during an implementation period, while the practicalities of this requirement are worked through with our trading partners.
Consignment data on non-compliance related to laboratory testing results will then be reviewed for approximately 12 months, and until such time as enough data can be assessed to determine the rates of non-compliance identified through provision of laboratory reports. Depending on the results of the data assessment, the department may reduce the frequency of verification against laboratory reports.
This document is provided for information only. To the extent that this document is inconsistent with any import permit, direction, or authorisation to import ruminant reproductive material, the terms and conditions of the import permit, direction, or authorisation to import ruminant reproductive material take precedence and will apply. Failure to comply with a condition of an import permit, direction, industry notice or authorisation may constitute an offence.
To date, the wording of Australia’s administrative import conditions for ruminant germplasm has not been clear about verification of test results via checking of laboratory reports. As a result, clearance staff at the border have historically cleared bovine germplasm based on the table created by the approved collection centre veterinarian, without reviewing laboratory test results for verification. This is inconsistent with all other germplasm and live animal commodities exported to Australia.
On numerous occasions, where laboratory reports have been provided, serious non-compliance with import conditions relating to disease testing has been identified. In these consignments, laboratory reports have been provided by the importer or directly requested by clearance staff to follow up on errors in test dates and test types provided in the summary table.
The import conditions for ruminant germplasm requires the certifying official veterinarian to assess laboratory test results for the disease agents listed in the table provided by the collection centre veterinarian. The department requires that the laboratory reports be made available for verification by Australian border clearance staff, which is consistent with how all other live animal and reproductive material commodities imported into Australia are verified, i.e. laboratory test results are verified by reviewing the laboratory reports as evidence for all disease testing.
The amendment is to the administrative conditions only; no changes will be made to the existing veterinary health certificates for the import of bovine, ovine, caprine and cervine semen and embryos to Australia.
Please note that exporting countries do not have to stamp, sign and date numerous pages of printed documents or provide laboratory testing reports for testing completed as part of the standard requirements to be an approved collection centre. Only test results relating specifically to the diseases and dates listed in the import conditions must be provided in an endorsed laboratory report. The endorsed laboratory reports can be emailed directly to the department clearance officer at the time of or after export of a tank. These do not need to accompany the shipment in hard copy.
A summary table for donor disease testing is still required when there is more than one donor, as per the administrative conditions. The department suggests the attached templates be used for the table for each commodity to show the disease testing information. The department charges a fee for service to assess disease testing information including laboratory reports, therefore the more efficiently the information is presented to department assessing officers, the less time for assessment of the consignment documentation will be charged.