. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/NZL/486 
13 September 2012  
 (12-4905) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES 
 
1. Notifying Member:  NEW ZEALAND 
If applicable, name of local government involved:     
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry for Primary Industries 
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):   
0307.11.00 Oysters - Live, fresh or chilled 
0307.19.00 Oysters - Other 1605.51.10 Other mollusc preparations:  oysters, pastes 
1605.51.20 Other mollusc preparations:  oysters, other (pate etc.) 
1605.51.90 Other mollusc preparations:  oysters, other (in airtight jars/otherwise packed) 
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:  Food Requirement:  Bivalve Molluscan Shellfish (IFR - 
BMS)  Language(s):  English  Number of pages:  18 
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2012/sps/NZL/12_3629_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  Since February 2010, all BMS imported into New Zealand should 
arrive under recognised and agreed certification.  
In the absence of the certification, BMS are currently subject to sampling and testing for 
E coli  and listeria  depending on the level of processing. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [X] food safety, [ ] 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:  Two recent norovirus  
incidents from imported oysters have  led to this amendment to add norovirus  to our BMS 
testing requirements for imported oysters. G/SPS/N/NZL/486 
Page 2  
 
  9. Is there a relevant international standard ?  If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial number of Codex standard 
or related text) Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products CAC/RCP 52-2003 
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)   
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)   
[ ] None 
Does this proposed regulation conform to  the relevant international standard? 
 [X] Yes   [ ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:    
10. Other relevant documents and langua ge(s) in which these are available:       
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):  
1 October 2012  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. 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:   
Mrs Sally Jennings, Coordinator, SPS Ne w Zealand, PO Box 2526, Wellington, New 
Zealand.  Tel:  +(64 4) 894 0431;  Fax:  +(64 4) 894 0733;  E-mail:  sps@maf.govt.nz  
13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   
Mrs Sally Jennings, Coordinator, SPS Ne w Zealand, PO Box 2526, Wellington, New 
Zealand.  Tel:  +(64 4) 894 0431;  Fax:  +(64 4) 894 0733;  E-mail:  sps@maf.govt.nz 
Website:  http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/sps/tran sparency/notifications/index.htm