WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/THA/114 
17 September 2004 
 (04-3916) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   THAILAND
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:   Department of Fisheries (DOF) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):   Live aquatic animals and their game tes designated for culture including Koi 
fish (color carp or fancy carp) and common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:   All 
countries  
5. Title, language  and number of pages of the notified document:  The Requirements for 
the Importation of Aquatic Animals and Their Gametes into Thailand for Culture (2 pages 
available in Thai and 4 pages in English).  
6. Description of content:  As there were reports of herpesvirus infection in koi carp and 
common carp, taura syndrome in marine shrimps and diseases in other aquatic animals in 
many countries.  Recently, koi herpesvirus ( KHV) outbreaks in Indonesia and Japan caused 
severe damages to common carp aquaculture in both countries.  Scientific evidence indicated 
that koi carp were also affected by KHV.  Crustaceans and molluscs are also susceptible to 
many damaging pathogenic infections.  Moveme nt of un-certified live aquatic animals and 
their gametes can easily spread the disease.  Therefore, the Department of Fisheries (DOF) has established a strategy to control trans- boundary movement of aqua tic animal diseases 
using quarantine measures  on imports as follows: 
-  Pre-importation:  facilities of Thai aquatic animal farms or companies have to achieve the 
quarantine standard of the DOF be fore receiving an import permit. 
-  Arrival of aquatic animals and their gamete s at the port:  the imported animals and their 
gametes must be accompanied with Certificate of Origin and Health.  The fish will be 
subjected to quarantine at the certified quarantine areas of the importing farms or companies. 
-  Post-importation:  aquatic animals will be quarantined for at least 15 days.  Fish health 
inspectors will examine the animals for diseases  listed in the OIE, koi herpesvirus and other 
contagious pathogens.  If serious pathogens ar e found, the animals and their gametes will be 
destroyed without compensation. 
Certificate of Origin and Hea lth shall certify as follows: 
1) The aquatic animals in each shipment meet the following conditions: 
-  They come from a country, zone or farm establishment where veterinary authorities use 
health measures described in the Diagnostic Manual for Aquatic Animal Diseases  from 
Office International des Epizooties (OIE) ( If the test methods of an y disease is not designated 
in most recent edition of the Diagnostic Manual , test methods of the disease published in 
international science journals shall be used.  This must be stated in the certificate .) G/SPS/N/THA/114 
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2) This country, zone, or fa rm establishment is recognized officially  unaffected by the 
following diseases: 
• for fish:  epizootic haematopoietic necrosis, spring viraemia of carp , viral haemorrhagic 
septicaemia, red sea bream iri dovirus, viral encephalopathy and retinopathy, iridovirus 
(or ranavirus), koi herpesvirus; 
• for molluscs:  bonamiosis ( Bonamia ostreae, B. exitiosus .), haplosporidiosis 
(Haplosporidium costale, H.nelsoni ), marteiliosis ( Marteilia refringens, M. sydneyi ), 
microcell disease ( Mikrocytos mackini, M. roughleyi ), perkinsosis ( Perkinsus marinus , 
P. olsen/atlanticus ); 
• for crustacean:  taura syndrome, white spot disease, yellowhead disease, infectious 
hypodermal and haemat opoietic necrosis; 
• for amphibians:  epizootic haem atopoietic necrosis, ranavirus; 
• for reptiles:  iridovirus (or ranavirus), poxvirus. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [    ] food safety, [ X ] animal health, [   ] plant protection, 
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [   ]  protect territory from other 
damage from pests  
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:   This quarantine measure 
is intended to protect the local aquatic an imal industry from harm caused by highly 
contagious diseases.  The spri ng viraemia of carp virus a nd koi herpesvirus have been 
included in the disease monitoring program  in ornamental fish production farms and 
exporting farms.  There is still no report of either virus in Thailand.  The DOF has also 
developed programs to control diseases in shrimp and mollusc brooders and their seeds 
including quarantine measures to prevent the trans-boundary disease transmission. 
9. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:  
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [ X ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention, [   ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:  
10. Relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:   Not available 
11. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):   1 November 2004 
12. Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or  address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
National Bureau of Agricultural Co mmodity and Food Standards (ACFS) 
Division of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards Policy 3 Ratchadammern-Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200 Thailand 
Tel:  (662) 629 8970 
Fax:  (662) 629 8978 Website:  www.acfs.go.th E-mail:  sps@acfs.go.th
  G/SPS/N/THA/114 
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 13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority, [ X ] National enquiry 
point,  or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
National Bureau of Agricultural Co mmodity and Food Standards (ACFS) 
Division of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards Policy 3 Ratchadammern-Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200 
Thailand 
Tel:  (662) 629 8970 Fax:  (662) 629 8978 Website:  www.acfs.go.th E-mail:  sps@acfs.go.th