G/SPS/N/AUS/527  
 
6 September 2021  
(21-6629) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  AUSTRALIA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  Fish and fish products for use as pet food and stockfeed  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Animal Biosecurity Advice 2021 -A04 - Draft assessment 
of a prescribed heat treatment as a risk management measure for fish and fish products 
for use as pet food and stockfeed . Language(s):  English . Number of pages:  23 
https://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity/risk -analysis/memos/ba2021 -a04 
6. Description of content:  As set out in the Biosecurity Advice 2021 -A04 
(https://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity/risk -analysis/memos ), the Department of 
Agriculture, Water and the Environment initiat ed an assessment in response to stakeholder 
requests for an alternative heat treatment for fish and fish products for use as pet food 
and stockfeed imported into Australia.  
This draft assessment uses infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), the most th ermo-
chemical treatment -resistant aquatic animal virus, as the minimum standard for aquatic 
pathogen inactivation. The department has undertaken this assessment to determine if 
IPNV is inactivated by the proposed heat treatment.  
Based on the outcomes of th e assessment, the department proposes that the following 
changes to import policy are made:  
− The current heat treatment of 100  °C for no less than 30 minutes for fish products 
containing salmonid material, be reduced to a moist heat treatment of at least 85  °C 
for at least 25 minutes, or at an equivalent time and temperature agreed to by the 
department ; 
− The current heat treatment of 80  °C for no less than 20 minutes for fish products 
containing non -salmonid material be increased to a moist heat treatment of at least 
85 °C for at least 25 minutes, or at an equivalent time and temperature agreed to by 
the department ; 
− The current restrictions on the percentage of salmonid material contained in the fish 
products (no more than 2%) will no longer apply.  
The departm ent invites comments on technical aspects of the proposed measures. The 
department is interested in your comments regarding these measures providing equivalent 
risk management outcomes when compared to the current measures.  
The department will carefully co nsider all submissions before finalising the assessment of 
existing policy. A further Animal Biosecurity Advice will be issued following the consultation G/SPS/N/AUS/527  
 
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  period.  
The department invites you to comment on the draft review by 1 November 2021.  
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. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify th e standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[X] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) : Aquatic Animal Health Code, Section 10  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes   [X] No  
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  The OIE has standards for pasteurised fish products for any 
purpose related to diseases listed by the OIE in the relevant chapters of Section 10 of the 
OIE Aquatic Animal Health Code. The department has undertaken this asse ssment based 
on IPNV, which is not currently a disease listed by the OIE . However, IPNV is exotic to 
Australia, and a disease of concern to Australia. Therefore, the proposed changes to import 
policy are based on the outcomes of this assessment.  
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : The draft assessment was published on 
6 September 2021.  
11. Proposed date of entry int o force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
[X] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [  ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 1 November 2021  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
The Australian SPS Notification Authority  
GPO Box 858  
Canberra ACT 2601  
Australia  
E-mail: sps.contact@agriculture.gov.au  
13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
https://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity/risk -analysis/memos/ba2021 -a04