Attachment 8-4: Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Live 
Crustaceans and Molluscs 
 
(In case of any discrepancy between the Chinese text and the English translation thereof, 
the Chinese text shall govern.) 
 
Amended to Articles 2 and 8 by the Council of Agriculture on August 11, 2022  
 
1. The quarantine requirements regulate the importation of live crustaceans and 
molluscs. The species subject to animal quarantine and the scope of designated 
infectious animal diseases are listed in Annex 1 and Annex 2. 
2. Sample collection, testing, and surveillance for species and pertinent infectious 
animal 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 Organisation for Animal Health (hereinafter the Aquatic 
Manual). For infectious animal diseases with no sampling, testing or surveillance 
methods prescribed in the Aquatic Manual, methods that have been published in 
international scientific journals may be used. 
The quarantine requirements stipulate the incubation period using relevant provisions 
of the Acquatic Manual or the WOAH Aquatic Animal Health Code (hereinafter the 
Aquatic Code) of the WOAH. Unless the incubation period is not specified by the 
WOAH Manual or the Aquatic Code, others that are published in international 
scientific journals may be used. If no such information can be found either If no such 
information can be found either in the WOAH Manual, the Aquatic Code or 
international scientific journals, the incubation period will be 30 days. 
3. The importation of live crustaceans and molluscs in the annexes for aquaculture or 
rearing purposes shall comply with the following requirements: 
(1) The population of origin of live crustaceans and molluscs is raised for at least 14 
days prior to export in waters or aquaculture facilities, which are supervised by 
the government of the exporting country, where no incidence of high mortality 
caused by infectious diseases or unknown etiology has occurred in the indicated 
species in the past 3 months. 
(2) The infectious animal diseases listed in the annexes are notifiable diseases in the 
exporting countries, and the basic biosecurity measures are applied on waters or 
aquaculture facilities of origin for at least 2 years; or samples collected from 
waters or aquaculture facilities are tested for listed diseases in the annexes by 
laboratories designated by the government of the exporting country with 
negative results within 30 days prior to export. 
(3) The live crustaceans and molluscs are found to be healthy without external parasite infestation or clinical signs of animal disease within 7 days prior to 
export. 
The biosecurity measures mentioned in the second Subparagraph of the preceding 
Paragraph are as follows: 
(1) The surveillance of listed diseases is conducted by laboratories designated by the 
government of the exporting country to verify that there are no cases of listed 
diseases in Annex 1 and Annex 2 occurring for at least 2 years. 
(2) The introduction of new brood stock for aquaculture or rearing purposes shall 
originate from zones free from listed diseases in Annex 1 and Annex 2, or 
waters or aquaculture facilities of origin adopting basic biosecurity measures. 
4. The importation of live crustaceans and molluscs in the annexes for human 
consumption shall comply with one of the following requirements: 
(1) The infectious animal diseases listed in the Annex 1 and Annex 2 are notifiable 
diseases of the exporting countries. The waters or aquaculture facility of origin 
has been subject to surveillance conducted by a laboratory designated by the 
exporting country’s government. According to the surveillance results, the 
pertinent diseases of concern listed in the Annex 1 and Annex 2 have not 
occurred for at least 2 years. 
(2) Samples collected from waters or aquaculture facilities of origin are tested for 
listed diseases in the annexes by laboratories designated by the government of 
the exporting country with negative results within 30 days prior to export of live 
crustaceans and molluscs. 
5. Each consignment shall be accompanied by an original veterinary certificate issued 
by a competent authority of the exporting country. The certificate shall state the 
following information in English or Chinese: 
(1) Type and origin of the animal: 
a. Scientific names; 
b. Total quantity or weight (quantities or weights of different species shall be 
noted respectively); 
c. Age or phase of growth; 
d. The exporting country; 
e. Name and address of waters or aquaculture facilities of origin; and 
f. Name and address of the exporter. 
(2) Destination: 
a. Country of destination; and 
b. Name and address of the importer. 
(3) Result of the quarantine: For the importation of live crustaceans and molluscs in 
the Annex1 and Annex 2 for aquaculture or rearing or human consumption purposes, statements attesting that they fulfill the requirements stipulated in 
Article 3 or 4 and noting the monitoring diseases; or noting names of testing 
diseases, dates of sampling, amounts of samples, name of the laboratory, 
methods and results of the tests within 30 days prior to export. The sources of 
the associated articles are required when using methods published in 
international scientific journals. 
(4) Date of issuance, name and official stamp of the issuing authority, and name and 
signature of the issuing officer. 
6. Imported live crustaceans and molluscs in the annexes approved by the competent 
authority of fishery according to projects of breeding importation or research 
purposes that do not comply with Article 5 requiring the original veterinary health 
certificates must be detained in the quarantine premises designated by the 
import/export animal quarantine authority of the importing country and comply with 
the following requirements: 
(1) The quarantine period for live crustaceans and molluscs is at least triple of the 
longest incubation period of the infectious animal diseases in the annexes. 
(2) During the quarantine period, the consecutive samplings of testing infectious 
animal diseases in the annexes shall be conducted twice with negative results. 
(3) During the quarantine period, individual identifications are labeled following the 
instruction of the import/export animal quarantine authority of the importing 
country. 
(4) During the quarantine period, the quarantine areas are used for raising the 
consignment, their offspring, and sentinel fishes permitted by the import/export 
animal quarantine authority of the importing country. Personnel without 
permission of the import/export animal quarantine authority of the importing 
country are not allowed to enter into the quarantine premises. 
The quarantine premises mentioned in preceding Paragraph shall comply with the 
following requirements and be confirmed by the import/export animal quarantine 
authority of the importing country that the facilities and equipment are according to 
the biosecurity requirements: 
(1) Prevent invasion of vertebral animals, crustaceans and molluscs from outside 
and spillover of live crustaceans and molluscs. 
(2) Set up the closed-circuit television (CCTV) at the entry and exit points, which 
can be locked by personnel, and dependent inlet systems with filters and culvert 
systems with disinfected equipment. 
(3) To raise live crustaceans and molluscs in a separate body of water, each body of 
water shall be separate effectively, without mutual circulation or contamination, 
and shall not share related equipment. Those conditions of mutual circulation, contamination or sharing related equipment are viewed as being raised in the 
same body of water. 
The sampling and testing mentioned in the second Subparagraph of the first 
Paragraph of Article 6 shall comply with the requirements stipulated in Article 2 and 
the following: 
(1) The time period of sampling are not less than the longest incubation period, and 
sample amounts are at least 30 for each consignment. The total quantity of 
consignment less than 30 shall be all sampled. 
(2) Sentinel animals shall be raised in the same body of water with live crustaceans 
and molluscs for the longest incubation period. After the aforementioned 
quarantine period, the sampling of sentinel animals are conducted with the 
sampling amount that are no less than numbers which were sampled in the 
consignment. 
If the results of the tests requested in the second Subparagraph of the first Paragraph 
of Article 6 are positive, the consignment with all the live crustaceans and molluscs in 
the same body of water shall be reshipped or destroyed. 
7. The package, transportation and disinfection of importing live crustaceans and 
molluscs shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Aquatic Code. 
8. Except for those described in Article 6, no post-entry quarantine is required for live 
crustaceans and molluscs that comply with the quarantine requirements. Annex 1: The species subject to animal quarantine and the scope of designated infectious 
animal diseases regarding live crustaceans  
Scientific name of species Designated infectious animal diseases 
Cambaridae Crayfish plague  
White spot disease 
Procambarus clarkii Crayfish plague  
White spot disease 
Decapod iridescent virus 1 
Astacidae Crayfish plague 
White spot disease 
Parastacidae 
 Crayfish plague 
White spot disease 
Cherax quadricarinatus Crayfish plague 
White spot disease 
Decapod iridescent virus 1 
Caridina spp.  White spot disease 
Macrobrachium  Decapod iridescent virus 1 
Macrobrachium rosenbergii White spot disease 
White tail disease 
Decapod iridescent virus 1 
Macrobrachium sintangense Yellow head disease  
White spot disease 
Decapod iridescent virus 1 
Neocaridina spp. White spot disease 
Penaeidae Infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis  
White spot disease 
Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei 
Necrotising hepatopancreatitis 
Fenneropenaeus chinensis (Penaeus 
chinensis) Infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis  
Taura syndrome  
White spot disease 
Decapod iridescent virus 1 
Farfantepenaeus aztecus Infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis  
Taura syndrome 
White spot disease 
Yellow head disease 
Farfantepenaeus duorarum Infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis  Taura syndrome 
White spot disease 
Yellow head disease 
Fenneropenaeus merguiensis Infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis  
White spot disease 
Yellow head disease 
Infectious myonecrosis 
Litopenaeus schmitt Infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis  
Taura syndrome 
White spot disease 
Litopenaeus setiferus Infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis  
Taura syndrome  
White spot disease 
Yellow head disease 
Litopenaeus stylirostris Infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis  
Taura syndrome  
White spot disease 
Yellow head disease 
Necrotising hepatopancreatitis 
Litopenaeus vannamei 
(Penaeus vannamei ) Infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis  
Taura syndrome 
White spot disease 
Yellow head disease 
Infectious myonecrosis 
Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease 
Decapod iridescent virus 1 
Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei 
Necrotising hepatopancreatitis 
Metapenaeus ensis Infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis  
Taura syndrome  
White spot disease 
Yellow head disease 
Marsupenaeus japonicus Infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis  
Taura syndrome 
White spot disease 
Yellow head disease Decapod iridescent virus 1 
Metapenaeus bennettae Infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis  
White spot disease 
Yellow head disease 
Penaeus esculentus Infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis  
White spot disease 
Yellow head disease 
Infectious myonecrosis 
Penaeus monodon Infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis  
Taura syndrome 
White spot disease 
Yellow head disease 
Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease 
Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei 
Necrotising hepatopancreatitis 
Decapod iridescent virus 1 
Penaeus chinensis Infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis  
White spot disease 
Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease 
Decapod iridescent virus 1 
 
 Annex 2: The species subject to animal quarantine and the scope of designated infectious 
animal diseases regarding live molluscs 
Scientific name of species Designated infectious animal diseases 
Haliotis rubra Infection with Perkinsus olseni 
Infection with abalone herpesvirus 
Haliotis laevegata Infection with Perkinsus olseni 
Infection with abalone herpesvirus 
Haliotis cyclobates Infection with Perkinsus olseni  
Haliotis scalaris Infection with Perkinsus olseni  
Haliotis cracherodii Infection with Xenohaliotis californiensis  
Haliotis sorenseni Infection with Xenohaliotis californiensis  
Haliotis rufescens Infection with Xenohaliotis californiensis  
Haliotis corrugata Infection with Xenohaliotis californiensis  
Haliotis tuberculate 
(Haliotis fulgens ) Infection with Xenohaliotis californiensis  
Haliotis wallalensis Infection with Xenohaliotis californiensis  
Haliotis discus-hannai Infection with Xenohaliotis californiensis  
Haliotis diversicolor aquatilis Infection with Xenohaliotis californiensis 
Infection with abalone herpesvirus 
Haliotis diversicolor supertexta Infection with Xenohaliotis californiensis 
Infection with abalone herpevirus