26 September 2022
Who does this notice affect?
Departmental staff; importers of ovine and/or caprine dairy, ovine and/or caprine fluids and tissues (including laboratory products containing fluids and tissues), and stockfeed from Spain.
What is changing?
The department has received notification that cases of sheep and goat pox have been detected in Spain. Sheep and goat pox is one of the department’s Pathogens of highest animal biosecurity concern and an incursion of the virus in Australia could have potentially significant economic impacts on our sheep and goat industries. To reduce the risk of an incursion to Australia’s Appropriate Level of Protection, the department has made the decision to remove Spain from the list of countries approved for ovine and caprine fluids and tissues and the Sheep Pox and Goat Pox-Free Country list.
The department will be in contact with any permit holders affected by this change to provide further information about the impact on import conditions for specific goods.
If you are preparing a consignment of goods from Spain under a permit that references the approved country lists above, you are advised not to dispatch the consignment. If any of these goods are currently in transit to Australia, please contact the department as soon as possible.
Further information
Please contact the department on 1800 900 090 (prompt 1, prompt 1) or via imports@aff.gov.au.