. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/JPN/144 
20 June 2005 
 (05-2585) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   JAPAN
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries 
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):  Aquatic animals 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  All 
countries.  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   A m e n d m e n t  o f   t h e  
Enforcement Ordinance of the Fisheries Resources Conservation Act (abstract (two pages) is available in English). 
6. Description of content:   
1. To designate Ministerial Ordinance-listed di seases and susceptible hosts to each of the 
diseases pursuant to the Fisher ies Resources Conservation Act. 
2. To provide the way and duration in and for wh ich Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and 
Fisheries may order the importer to detain  the imported aquatic animals which may 
possibly contain Ministerial Ordinance-listed diseases. 
3. To provide procedures to a pply examination for diagnosis of the detained aquatic 
animals. 
Relevant amendment of the Fisheries Resour ces Conservation Act wa s notified as document 
G/SPS/N/JPN/135. 
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. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention, [ X ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:   These proposed regulati ons are substantially the 
same as the content of the OIE "Aquatic An imal Health Code 2004";  however, Japan 
submits the notification only because the pr oposed rules include non OIE-listed disease 
(KHV). G/SPS/N/JPN/144 
Page 2  
 
 9. Relevant documents and language(s ) in which thes e are available:  The basic law is the 
Fisheries Resources Conservation Act. This draft ordinance will appear in "KAMPO" (Official Government Gazette) in  Japanese when promulgated. 
10. Proposed date of adoption:   The date of promulgation (to be announced in the Official 
Government Gazette). 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   The date when the Amendment of the Fisheries 
Resources Conservation Act is enforced (to be announced in  the Official Government 
Gazette, within 6 months from 27 April 2005). 
12. Final date for comments:  18 August 2005 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or  address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:    
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notificati on authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: