1 
 Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of  
Frozen/Chilled Uneviscerated Fish Products  
(Draft amendments)  
 
Note:  
1. In case of any discrepancy between the English version and the Chinese text of 
these Requirements, the Chinese text shall govern.  
2. The amendments are shown as underline. 
 
Article 1  
1.1 Definition  
1.1.1 “Internal organs” refer to the organs in the fish abdominal cavity, including the 
heart, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, stomach, spleen, kidney, swim bladder, 
intestine and gonads, but excluding the brain and gills.  
1.1.2 “Eviscerated” refer s to the organs in the fish abdominal cavity that have been 
removed by specific procedures with no obvious, visible viscera preservation.  
 
Article 2  
2.1 These Req uirements are applicable to the importation of the frozen/chilled 
uneviscerated fish products (hereafter referred to as “fish products”). However, 
the Quarantine Requirements are not applicable for the fish products that have 
been eviscerated.  
2.2 The scope of  the species and pertinent diseases of the aforementioned fish 
products to which these Requirements apply are shown in the attached table.  
 
Article 3  
Sample collection, testing, and surveillance for species and pertinent diseases  as 
referred to in these Requirements  shall be conducted in accordance with relevant 
provisions in the Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals of the World 
Organization for Animal Health (hereinafter referred to as the “OIE Aquatic Manual”). 
For dis eases with no sampling, testing or surveillance methods prescribed in the OIE 2 
 Aquatic Manual, methods that have been published in international scientific journals 
are to be used.  
 Article 4  
4.1 The importation of fish products shall comply with all of the following conditions:  
4.1.1 Within a period of three months prior to the exportation of fish products, there shall be no incidents of high mortality occurring in that specific species of fish which are caused by communicable diseases or
 unknown etiology in the w ater 
area or aquaculture facility of origin. 
4.1.2 The water area or aquaculture facility of origin has been subjected to an official health surveillance scheme  conducted by a laboratory designated by the 
exporting country’s government  for the pertinent diseases  of concern listed in 
the attached table. According to the surveillance results, pertinent diseases 
have not occurred for at least two years in the water area or aquaculture 
facility of origin; or within the 30 days preceding the exportation of fish 
products from the water area or aquaculture facility of origin, testing has been 
conducted by a laboratory designated by the exporting country’s government 
for the pertinent diseases of concern listed in the attached table with the 
results being negative.  
 
The i mportation of products of frozen/chilled uneviscerated trout/salmon, perch, 
catfish, or carp shall be accompanied with an original copy of official health 
certificate issued by the competent authority of the exporting country, and stating in 
English the fo llowings:  
(1) The place of production:  
A. Exporting country  
B. Name of the competent authority of the exporting country  
C. Name of province or area the products come from  
(2) Product identification:  
A. Variety of the products  
B. Area of catch or name and address of the aquaculture establishment  3 
 C. Latin name and common name of the fish species  
D. Total weight (in kg) or number (in thousand) of the products  
(3) Destination of export:  
A. Destination country  
B. Name and address of aquaculture establishment or consignee  
(4) Declaration of epide miological information: The products originate from zone or 
aquaculture establishment where high mortality of unknown etiology has not 
occurred during the previous three months and meet either of the following 
conditions:  
A. the establishment of origin has be en subjected to an official fish health 
surveillance scheme according to the procedures described in the Manual of 
Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals of the Office International des Epizooties 
(hereafter referred to as the OIE Aquatic Manual) and is cert ified that the 
establishment is free from the diseases listed in the attached table of the 
Requirements for at least the previous two years; or   
B. prior  to export, the products have been subjected to testing with negative 
results for diseases listed in the attached table of the Requirements using the 
methods described in the OIE Aquatic Manual. If the test method of any 
disease is not designated in the OI E Aquatic Manual, test methods of the 
disease which have been published in international science journals shall be 
used (the test method, result and date shall be stated).  
 
Article 5  
The packaging, transportation and disinfection of the fish  products shall comply with 
the relevant Articles  of the Aquatic Animal Health Code of the OIE.  
 
Article 6  
6.1 The fish products to be imported into Taiwan shall be accompanied by an original 
health certificate issued by the competent authority of the exportin g country. 
Importers or agents shall apply for quarantine inspection for the fish products 
and shall submit original health certificate when arriving at ports or stations.  The 4 
 certificate must specify the following information in English or Chinese : 
6.1.1 Animal  species and their origin. 
6.1.1.1  Scientific names. 
6.1.1.2  Name of the water area  of origin or the name and address of the 
aquaculture facility of origin (including Province or Region). 
6.1.1.3  Quantity ( in thousands ) or total weight ( in kilograms [kg]). 
6.1.1.4  Name of the exporting c ountry.  
6.1.1.5  Name and address of the exporter . 
6.1.1.6  Name of the exporting country’s competent authority.  
6.1.2 Destination  
6.1.2.1  Country of destination.  
6.1.2.2  Name and address of the importer . 
6.1.3 Results of the quarantine inspection  
6.1.3.1  To firmly confirm the  compliance with Article 4.1.1 or 4.1.2 and to  specif y 
which Article is compl ied with . 
6.1.3.2  If the water area or aquaculture facility of origin complies with Article 4.1.2, 
the following information shall be specified:  
(1) Name of the diseases under official survei llance in accordance with 
Article 2; or  
(2) Name of the diseases tested, the sample collection date, number of 
samples collected, name of the testing laboratory, test methods and the 
test results.  
6.1.4 Date and place the certificate is issued, name and official sta mp of the issuing 
authority, and name and signature of the certifying officer.  
 
The format of the aforementioned official health certificate should be drawn up in 
reference to the model certificate for dead uneviscerated fish of the OIE Aquatic 
Code.  
  5 
 Attached table  
Species and pertinent diseases of concern  for the importation of the frozen/chilled 
unviscerated products subjected to quarantine inspection  
No. Species of fish  
(Scientific name)  Pertinent diseases of concern  
 
Trout/Salmon  Viral hemorrhagic  septicemia (Viral 
hemorrhagic septicemia virus)  
Infectious hematopoietic necrosis (Infectious 
hematopoietic necrosis virus)  
Salmonid herpesvirus type 2 disease 
(Salmonid herpesvirus type 2)  
Infectious pancreatic necrosis (Infectious 
pancreatic necrosis virus)  
Bacterial kidney disease ( Renibacterium 
salmoninarum ) 
 Perch  Epizootic hematopietic necrosis (Epizootic 
hematopoietic necrosis virus)  
 
Catfish  Channel catfish virus disease (herpesvirus of 
Ictaluridae  type 1)  
Enteric septicaemia  of catfish ( Edwardsiella 
ictaluri ) 
 
Carp  Spring viremia of carp (Spring viremia of carp 
virus)  
Koi herpesvirus disease (Koi herpesvirus)  
1 Aristichthys nobilis  Spring viraemia of carp  
2 Bidyanus bidyanus  Epizootic haematopoietic necrosis  
3 Carassius carassius  Spring viraemia of carp  
4 Coregonus spp.  Viral hemorrhagic septicaemia  
5 Ctenopharyngodon idellus  Spring viraemia of carp  
6 Cyprinus carpio  Koi herpesvirus disease  6 
 Spring viraemia of carp  
7 Hypophthalmichthys molitrix  Spring viraemia of carp  
8 Leuciscus idus  Spring viraemia of carp  
9 Macquaria australasica  Epizootic haematopoietic necrosis  
10 Oncorhynchus mykiss  Epizootic haematopoietic necrosis  
Infectious haematopoietic necrosis  
Viral hemorrhagic septicaemia  
11 Oncorhynchus  spp. Viral hemorrhagic septicaemia  
12 Perca fluviatilis  Epizootic haematopoietic necrosis  
13 Salmo trutta  Viral hemorrhagic septicaemia  
14 Salmo salar  Infectious haematopoietic necrosis  
15 Thymallus thymallus  Viral hemorrhagic septicaemia  
16 Tinca tinca  Spring viraemia of carp