G/SPS/N/CRI/183  
11 January  2017 
(17-0172) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original:  Spanish  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member : COSTA RICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible : Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, Servicio Nacional de Salud 
Animal, SENASA (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, National Animal  Health Service)  
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) : Aquaculture products  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affect ed, to the extent relevant or practicable:  
[X] All trading partners  
[ ] Specific regions or countries:  
5. Title of the notified document : Resolución N° SENASA -DG-R068-2016 - Dirección 
General Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal  (Resolution SENASA -DG-R068-2016 - 
Directorate -General of the National Animal Health Service), published in Official Journal La 
Gaceta  No. 234 of Tuesday 6 December 2 016. Language(s) : Spanish  
Number of pages : 2 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2017/SPS/CRI/17_0204_00_s.pdf  
6. Description of content : The Directorate -General of the National Animal Health Service 
has decided the following:  
1. The following aspects must be considered for the purposes of analysing samples at 
SENASA's National Veterinary Services Laboratory (LANASEVE) and laboratories 
conducting tests or trials approved by SENASA:  
a. The concentration of malachite green in aquaculture products must be expressed 
as the sum of malachite green an d its metabolite, leucomalachite green (in μg/kg) ; 
no gravimetric factor is to be applied.  
b. The detection limit performance parameter for the test used to determine the sum 
of malachite green and its metabolite, leucomalachite green, must be no greater 
than 2 μg/kg (2 ppb).  
2. Any quantities detected of malachite green and its metabolite, leucomalachite green, 
regardless of their concentration, will be considered violative or non -compliant.  
3. The National Animal Health Service will take the appropriate sanitary m easures on the 
basis of the violative or non -compliant quantities of malachite green and its metabolite, 
leucomalachite green, that are detected in aquaculture products.  
7. Objective and rationale : [X] food safety, [X]  animal health, [ ] plant protection,  
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  G/SPS/N/CRI/183  
- 2 - 
  8. Is there a relevant international standard ? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial number of Code x 
standard or related text) : 
[ ] World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. T errestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) : 
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention ( e.g. I SPM No. ): 
[X] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to t he relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes [ ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
 Decree No. 33720 -MAG, published in O fficial Journal La Gaceta  No. 96 of 2 1 May 2 007. 
 Decree No. 34687 of 9 July 2 008. 
 Decree No. 36605 -COMEX -MEIC-MAG of 3 0 March 2 011. 
 Laboratory results issued by LANASEVE and tests and trials of other laboratories 
approved by SENASA.  
(Available in Spanish)  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 6 December 2 016 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 6 December 2 016 
11. Proposed date of entry into force : [ ] Six months from date of publication, and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) : 6 December 2 016 
[ ] Trade facilitating m easure  
12. Final date for comments : [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable.  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments : [X] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point . Address, fax number and email address (if 
available) of other body:   
13. Text(s) available from : [X] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point . Address, fax number and email address (if available) of other body:  
Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería  
Servicio Fitosanitario del Estado (SFE)  
Centro de Información y Notificación MSF  
Apartado Postal 1521 - 1200 
San José, Costa Rica  
Tel.: (+506) 2549 3454  
Fax: (+506) 2549 3598  
Email : puntocontactoMSF@sfe.go.cr