Importer Guidance for Aquatic Animal Health Import Quarantine Unit
1 Introduction
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The purpose of this document is to provide importers with guidance when establishing a quarantine unit for approval by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for international imports.
Key elements for quarantine unit creation include the following:
- if possible, a hydrogeological survey of groundwater supplies;
- a site diagram indicating the location of the physical infrastructure on the premises, the water flow patterns for the site and the locations of the different populations of animals on the site, if multiple populations are present;
- written standard of procedures and written records that demonstrate compliance with the operating procedures; and
- written records that demonstrate the implementation of active observational surveillance and traceability.
The importer should have quarantine unit staff that are trained and knowledgeable in the areas of biosecurity and aquatic animal diseases, or have a working relationship with an aquatic animal health professional or veterinarian.
This document is not meant to be a comprehensive list of requirements and is to be used as guidance for the establishment of a quarantine unit. The specific requirements of a particular quarantine unit are dependent on the individual premises, location of the quarantine unit, and life stage/species/product being imported.
1.1 Definitions
- 100-year flood
- is the peak or flood flow with one chance in one hundred of occurring in any given year. (Crue centenaire)
- Access points
- initial control points with defined entry and exit procedures. (Points d'accès)
- Active Observational Surveillance
- the process of actively and systematically looking for diseased animals by a trained individual on a frequent, pre-planned, and ongoing basis, where a predefined plan of action is implemented when affected animals are discovered. (Surveillance par observation active)
- Ante-room
- is a predefined area that separates the quarantine unit from the surrounding environment. It may not be a room, but rather a designated area on the site where exterior clothing is exchanged for site specific clothing and a hand wash station is provided. (Antichambre)
- Aquatic animal
- means any finfish, mollusc or crustacean, or any part of a finfish, mollusc or crustacean at any life stage, as well as any germplasm of those animals. (Health of Animals, Part XVI, Section 190) (Animal aquatique)
- Biological vector
- is an organism, usually an arthropod, in whose body the pathogen develops or multiplies before becoming infective for the recipient individual. (Vecteur biologique)
- Competent Authority
- means the Veterinary Authority or other Governmental Authority of a Member having the responsibility and competence for ensuring or supervising the implementation of aquatic animal health and welfare measures, international health certification and other standards and recommendations in the Aquatic Code in the whole territory. (Aquatic Animal Health Code 2012)(Autorité compétente)
- Effluent water
- is the waste water from an aquatic animal tank or holding system. Refer to "Solid waste." (Effluents)
- Equipment
- refers to all inanimate objects that can be used in the quarantine unit, including but not limited to equipment for aquatic animal handling, feeding, mortality collection and disposal as well as person protective equipment such as boots and raingear, graders, and fish pumps. (Équipement)
- Fomite
- Any inanimate object or substance capable of carrying infectious organisms. This may include but is not limited to equipment, vehicles and articles of clothing or shoes. (Vecteur passif)
- Germplasm
- means semen, male or female germ cells or genetic material taken from a male or female germ cell for the purpose of producing a zygote and includes embryos but does not include a hatching egg. (Health of Animals Regulations) (Matériel génétique)
- Import
- means entry into Canada from any other origin. (Importation)
- Influent water
- is the inflow of water into an aquatic animal tank or holding system. (Eau d'arrivée)
- Inorganic waste
- is material that is non-decomposable and does not consist of animal and/or plant matter. (Déchets inorganiques)
- Inspection
- means an inspection carried out by an inspector, except where a customs officer carries out an inspection pursuant to section 16 of the Health of Animals Act. (Health of Animals Regulations) (Inspection)
- Inspector
- means a person who is designated as an inspector, pursuant to subsection 13(3) of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act, for the purposes of section 32 of the Health of Animals Act and/or subsection 17 of the Fish Inspection Act. (Inspecteur)
- Mechanical vector
- is a living organism that can passively transmit the pathogen to an aquatic animal but is not infected by the pathogen (and therefore cannot actively shed the pathogen). (Vecteur mécanique)
- Organic waste
- is material that is decomposable and consists of animal and/or plant matter. (Déchets organiques)
- Pathogens of concern
- refers to the infectious agents in which the aquatic animals are considered to be susceptible. (Agents pathogènes préoccupants)
- Permit
- refers to an aquatic animal health import permit issued pursuant to Section 160 of the Health of Animals Act. (Permis)
- Population
- means a group of aquatic animals that are linked by direct or indirect contact with each other. The number of populations in a quarantine unit is determined by the links between the animals within the quarantine unit and the risk factors (animals, water, feed, fomites and vectors) that influence the health status of the quarantine unit. (Population)
- Reportable
- means prescribed as reportable by the minister as listed in the Reportable Diseases Regulations. (À déclaration obligatoire)
- Risk assessment
- means the evaluation of the likelihood and the biological and economic consequences of entry, establishment and spread of a hazard within the territory of an importing country. (Aquatic Animal Health Code 2013) (Évaluation des risques)
- Sample
- means a defined number of aquatic animals taken from a population of aquatic animals for the purpose of testing or collection of specimens. (Échantillon)
- Solid waste
- is inorganic or organic material that is present in transportation, influent, and effluent water. (Déchets solides)
- Specimen
- means a tissue, organ or bodily fluid removed from an aquatic animal for the purpose of testing. (Spécimen)
- Veterinary inspector
- means a veterinarian designated as an inspector pursuant to section 32 of the Health of Animals Act. (Vétérinaire-inspecteur)
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