file no: 95/2882, 98/2498
12 January 2000
| Chief Veterinary Officers, all States and the NT | CSIRO Division of Animal Health |
| Animal Programs Section, AQIS Operations | National Farmers' Federation |
| Office of the Australian CVO | Quarantine and Animal Health Task Force, NFF |
| Animal Health Branch, NOAPH | Australian Animal Health Council |
| Veterinary Counsellors, Washington, Brussels & Seoul | Australian Veterinary Association |
| Agricultural Counsellor, Tokyo | Australian Livestock Exporters' Council |
| Australian Registered Cattle Breeders' Association | National Meat Association of Australia |
| EU Delegation, Canberra | Chief Veterinary Officer, MAF RA, NZ |
Import Risk Analysis: Bovine Semen and Embryos from Argentina and Brazil
Decision on New Conditions
This Animal Quarantine Policy Memorandum (AQPM) provides final quarantine requirements for the importation of bovine semen and embryos from Argentina and Brazil. The appeal period closes on 14 February 2000.
Under the import risk analysis (IRA) procedures the Executive Director of AQIS has considered the final IRA paper and agreed to the requirements set out in the attached conditions for the importation of bovine semen and embryos from Argentina and Brazil (Attachment A).
AQPM 1999/34 presented the draft report of the IRA and proposed quarantine requirements for importation. Since the draft report was released for public comment, AQIS considered that the public health risks of leptospirosis and the recent developments with the Bovine Johne’s disease control program and the enzootic bovine leukosis program warranted the inclusion of these diseases in the IRA report and in the import requirements. A summary of stakeholder issues and AQIS’s responses is at Attachment B.
AQIS received comment from 7 stakeholders on the draft IRA paper. Comments were generally very supportive with all respondents indicating they considered the proposed risk management measures were adequate, or more than adequate, to address the risks of introduction of exotic pests and diseases.
AQIS has carefully considered all comments, further discussed risks with relevant experts, and amended the IRA as appropriate. The finalised import requirements presented with this AQPM are not very different from the requirements proposed in the draft IRA report. There have been some modifications in respect of testing for foot and mouth disease, tuberculosis, and brucellosis, certification of Argentina for freedom from vesicular stomatitis and BSE.
The final IRA report is divided into several sections
- Part 1: Bovine Semen
- Part 2: Bovine Embryos
- Quarantine conditions for the importation of bovine semen from Argentina
- Quarantine conditions for the importation of bovine embryos from Argentina
- Quarantine conditions for the importation of bovine semen from Brazil
- Quarantine conditions for the importation of bovine embryos from Brazil.
Next Steps
This AQPM advises the final conditions endorsed by the Executive Director of AQIS. Stakeholders may appeal against the process followed for this IRA by writing to:
The Secretary
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Australia
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Appeals should be received by close of business on 14 February 2000. If there are no appeals, the attached conditions will be adopted on 16 February 2000. AQIS will issue a further AQPM advising adoption or, alternatively, that an appeal has been received. All inquires should be directed to the officer whose contact details appear below.
Confidentiality
Respondents are advised that, subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 and the Privacy Act 1982, all submissions received in response to Animal Quarantine Policy Memoranda will be publicly available and may be listed or referred to in any papers or reports prepared on the subject matter of the Memoranda.
The Commonwealth reserves the right to reveal the identity of a respondent unless a request for anonymity accompanies the submission. Where a request for anonymity does not accompany the submission the respondent will be taken to have consented to the disclosure of his or her identity for the purposes of Information Privacy Principle 11 of the Privacy Act.
The contents of the submission will not be treated as confidential unless they are marked ‘confidential’ and they are capable of being classified as such in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act.
David Banks
Acting Assistant Director
Animal Quarantine Policy Branch
Contact officer: Warren Vant
Telephone: (02) 6272 4436
Facsimile: (02) 6272 3399
Email: Animal Biosecurity