Import Health Standard 
For 
Bovine Semen 
 
Short Name: bovsemid.gen 
 
 MAF Biosecurity New Zealand 
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry 
P.O Box 2526 
Wellington 6011 
New Zealand 
Import health standard for bovine semen  
BOVSEMID.GEN 21 June 2010  Page 1 of 11 
  
Import health standard for bovine semen  
BOVSEMID.GEN 21 June 2010  Page 2 of 11 
 Issuing Authority 
 
This standard is issued under section 22 of the Biosecurity Act 1993 (the Act).   
 
Dated at Wellington this               day of                                           2010 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
Manager Animal Imports and Exports 
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry ( MAF ) 
 For Director General Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Pursuant to delegated authority)    Version number: 0.1  
  
Imp ro t health standard for bovine semen  
BOVSEMID.GEN 21 June 2010  Page 3 of 11 
 Import Health Standard for Bovine Semen  
 
 PART A. BACKGROUND, SCOPE AND OUTCOMES  Background 
 1. Under section 22 of the Biosecurity Act, this document is the import health standard for 
bovine semen. 
 
2. If this standard needs to be amended or revoked urgently, or the Director General 
considers that an amendment is minor, the amendment or revocation may be carried out without prior consultation. 
 3. A guidance document will be issued by MAF to accompany this import health standard. 
The document will provide guidance information relevant to how requirements may be met including definitions of terms (shown in italics) used in this standard. 
 
Scope 
 
4. This standard specifies the requirements that must be met to import bovine semen into 
New Zealand, bovine semen being semen derived from any member of the sub-family 
Bovinae .   
 
5. The bovine semen must meet the general requirements and documentation requirements 
contained in PART B of this standard and to the extent that PART C of this standard applies, the specific requirements contained in PART C of this standard.  
 Outcomes 
 
6. All imports must be subject to risk management measures for specified risk organisms 
associated with the commodity appropriate to the status of the risk organism, their 
likelihood of entry and/or establishment in New Zealand and consequent impacts.  
 
7. The risk organisms associated with the commodity that are subject to specific risk 
management requirements are (with category and legal status under the Biosecurity Act 
as well as presence in New Zealand):  
o Bluetongue virus (Unwanted; Exotic; Notifiable) 
o Borna disease virus (Unwanted; Exotic) 
o Bovine viral diarrhoea virus type 2, BVDV2 (Unwanted; Exotic) 
o Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever virus, CCHFV (Unwanted; Exotic) 
o Foot and mouth disease virus, FMDV (Unwanted; Exotic; Notifiable) 
o Bovine herpes virus, IBR/IPV, abortifacient strains (Unwanted; Exotic; Notifiable) 
o Lumpy skin disease virus, LSDV (Unwanted; Exotic; Notifiable)  
o Rift Valley Fever virus, RVFV (Unwanted; Exotic; Notifiable) 
o Vesicular stomatitis virus (Unwanted; Exotic; Notifiable) 
o Bovine brucellosis, including Brucella abortus, B.melitensis, B.suis  (Unwanted; 
Exotic; Notifiable) 
o Bovine tuberculosis, Mycobacterium bovis (Unwanted; Reportable under the Bovine 
Tb Pest Management Strategy) 
o Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, CBPP, Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. 
mycoides  SC (Unwanted; Exotic; Notifiable) 
o Mycoplasma bovis  
o Q fever, Coxiella burnetii (Unwanted; Exotic; Notifiable)  
Import health standard for bovine semen  
BOVSEMID.GEN 21 June 2010  Page 4 of 11 
   
8. For each risk organism, specific risk management requirements are specified in PART C 
using the general form: 
o Country, zone or compartment freedom; OR 
o Specified measures to verify premises and/or donor freedom. 
  
9. MAF  and the veterinary authority  of the exporting country will negotiate the content of the 
zoosanitary certificate  to achieve an equivalent level of risk management as specified by 
this standard, taking into account: 
o the verifiable health status of the exporting country/zone/compartment; AND 
o the national systems and standards in the exporting country for regulatory oversight 
of the germplasm industry; AND 
o the capabilities and preferences of the exporting country Competent Authority.  
Upon conclusion of negotiations, country-specific Zoosanitary Certificate  templates will 
be included in the Guidance Document. 
 
PART B. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS  
 Approved countries  
 
10. Countries must be approved by MAF  to export bovine semen to New Zealand.  A list of 
eligible countries is included in the guidance document for this standard. 
 
Donor eligibility  
 
11. Donors that were imported to the exporting c ountry must have lived continuously in the 
exporting country for at least 90 days and in the herd of origin  for at least 30 days prior to 
entering the semen collection centre. 
 
Semen collection centre requirements 
 
12. The semen collection centre must have been approved by the veterinary authority  to 
collect semen for export, been subject to regular inspection by an Official Veterinarian , 
and been under the supervision of a semen collection centre veterinarian approved by the veterinary authority. 
 
13. Prior to collection of semen for this consignment the donor animals must have been 
subjected to a period of isolation of at least 30 days in accommodation specifically 
approved for this purpose by the veterinary authority.  During this time they were not used for natural mating and were isolated from animals not of an equivalent health status. 
 
14. Donors may be transferred from one approved semen collection centre to another of 
equal health status without isolation or testing if: o Donors were examined and showed no clinical sign of disease on the day of entry to centre; AND 
o transfer was direct; AND 
o transfer was not through a bluetongue infected zone OR donors were protected from 
insect attack during transit; AND 
o donors did not come into direct or indirect contact with animals of a lower health status; AND 
o the means of transport used was disinfected before use; AND  
o routine (annual) tests for bluetongue, bovine brucellosis, bovine tuberculosis, BVD-
MD, and IBR-IPV were carried out on the donor during the previous 12 months. 
  
Import health standard for bovine semen  
BOVSEMID.GEN 21 June 2010  Page 5 of 11 
  
  
Donor and centre health status  
15. The herd(s) of origin of the donor males and the semen collection centre must have 
remained free from any quarantine restrictio ns from 90 days before the first semen 
collection for this consignment to New Zealand until completion of the testing of the donor 
animals, as required by this certificate. 
 16. On the day(s) of collection of the semen, each donor animal must have been inspected 
by the approved semen collection centre veterinarian and found free from clinical evidence of infectious diseases caused by  micro-organisms transmissible in semen. 
 Semen collection, processing, storage and transport  
 17. Semen must have been collected, handled, prepared, and stored under the supervision 
of the approved semen collection centre veterinarian and in accordance with the recommendations in the OIE Code . 
 18. Antibiotics must have been added to the semen diluent in accordance with the OIE Code  
chapter on collection and processing of bovine semen. 
 19. All straws must have been sealed and clearly marked with the identification of the donor 
animals and the date(s) of collection. If a code is used for this information, its cipher must 
accompany the consignment. The code marking should, in accordance with the OIE 
Code , conform to the international standards of the International Committee for Animal 
Recording (ICAR; www.icar.org
) and the International Embryo Transfer Society (IETS; 
http://www.iets.org ). 
 20. The semen must have been stored only with other embryos or semen that is eligible for 
export to New Zealand. Containers must hav e been held in a storage place approved by 
the veterinary authority of the exporting country until export. 
 
21. The semen must have been placed in transpor t containers filled with fresh (previously 
unused) liquid nitrogen.  Transport containers may be either new or disinfected. 
 
Laboratory testing 
 
22. All required laboratory testing must have been conducted at a laboratory approved by the 
veterinary authority of the exporting country to conduct export testing.   
 23. Laboratory or other diagnostics tests must be those prescribed for that disease by the 
OIE for use during international trade, or specifically approved by MAF . 
 
Documentation accompanying the consignment 
 24. The documentation that accompanies the consignment to New Zealand must consist of: 
o An original zoosanitary certificate signed and stamped on every page by an official of 
the competent veterinary authority of the exporting country; AND 
o a tabulated summary of laboratory tests for each donor completed in accordance  
with the specific requirements in the zoosanitary certificate (indicating donor 
identification consistent with the zoosanitary certificate,  the dates of collection, and for  
Import health standard for bovine semen  
BOVSEMID.GEN 21 June 2010  Page 6 of 11 
 each relevant disease the date/s samples were drawn, the test undertaken, the 
laboratory, the reported result, and the accession number reference) ; AND 
o copies of laboratory reports for all tests ( N.B. where the requirement is a regimen of 
multiple tests, for instance during qualification to enter and annually while resident on a collection facility, tested health status can be verified by providing laboratory reports of the most recent test/s); AND 
o an import permit. 
 
PART C. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR IDENTIFIED RISK ORGANISMS 
 
Bluetongue (BT)  
 EITHER  25. At the time of collection the exporting country was free from BT in accordance with the 
requirements of the OIE Code ; OR 
  26. Semen donors were kept in a BT virus free zone, as defined by the OIE Code , for at least 
the 100 days immediately prior to, and during, collection of the semen for consignment to New Zealand; OR  
 27. Semen donors were kept during the seasonally free period in a BT virus seasonally free 
zone, as defined by the OIE Code , or otherwise protected from Culicoides for at least the 
100 days immediately prior to commencement of, and during, semen collection for the consignment to New Zealand; OR 
  
28. Semen donors were subjected to MAF -approved antibody detection tests for BT, such as 
the competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or the agar gel 
immunodiffusion test (AGID), between 28 and 60 days after the last collection for this consignment, with negative results; OR 
  
29. Semen donors were subjected to MAF -approved agent detection tests for BT, such as a 
virus isolation (VI) test or a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, on blood samples 
collected at commencement and conclusion of, and at least every 7 days (for VI test) or at least every 28 days (for PCR test) during, semen collection for this consignment, with negative results.  
 Borna disease 
 
EITHER  30. Donors have been resident since birth in a country or countries that has never had a 
reported case of Borna disease; OR 
 31. Borna disease is officially notifiable in the exporting country, and the semen donors have 
been resident since birth in herds where there has been no reported cases in the period from 5 years prior to commencement of collection until conclusion of collection of semen 
for export to New Zealand; OR 
 
32. Donors or aliquots of semen, for export to New Zealand, have been tested using a MAF -
approved test and process, and are negative for Borna disease. 
 
Bovine viral diarrhoea type 2 (BVD2)  
Import health standard for bovine semen  
BOVSEMID.GEN 21 June 2010  Page 7 of 11 
  
EITHER  
33. At the time of collection of semen to New Zealand, the exporting country was free of 
BVDV2, i.e. there have been no cases of BVDV2 for at least 3 years; OR 
 
34. The semen collection centre must have been maintained as free from BVD from the 
commencement until after conclusion of collection of semen for export to New Zealand, through compliance with the recommendations in the OIE Code  in relation to BVDV, 
including:  o testing all cattle for antibodies and antigen using prescribed tests prior to entry into 
pre-entry isolation and during pre-entry isolation, and only approving entry for groups where pre-entry isolation results indicate the absence of sero-conversion and absence of antigen-positive cattle; AND  
o thereafter, annual re-testing of sero-negative cattle; AND  
o for seropositive donors, testing of semen for BVDV2 with negative results, prior to 
initial dispatch;  AND 
o for seronegative donors, an antibody test using prescribed methods, with negative 
result, from samples collected after the conclusion of semen collection for export; 
AND 
 
35. Semen donors that have been on the semen collection centre for less than 3 years have 
had an aliquot of semen from each collection in the consignment to New Zealand tested for BVDV2 by VI or reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), with negative results. 
 
Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) 
 
EITHER  
36. CCHF is officially notifiable in the exporting country, and there has never been a reported 
case of CCHF in the country or countries in which the donor s have been resident for the 
21 days before, and during, semen collection for export; OR 
 
37. Semen donors were treated for ticks with an efficacious acaricide in accordance with the 
manufacturer’s directions, inspected after ten days and found to be free of ticks, and then 
resident in a tick-free semen collection centre for at least 3 weeks prior to the 
commencement of collection until conclusion of collection of semen for export. Verification of tick freedom in the semen colle ction centre is performed by inspections  
done at least monthly where no ticks were found; OR 
 
38. Donors were serologically tested for CCHF using prescribed methods such as a validated  
ELISA to detect IgG and IgM antibodies on blood samples collected within 7 days prior to 
commencement,  every 60 days thereafter, until 21 to 60 days after conclusion of embryo 
collection for export to New Zealand. The results must indicate: o that any donor seronegative at the start of testing has maintained a seronegative 
status; AND 
o that any donor seropositive at the start of testing did not have a rise in titre over 
consecutive tests.  
 
Foot and mouth disease (FMD) 
 EITHER 
  
Import health standard for bovine semen  
BOVSEMID.GEN 21 June 2010  Page 8 of 11 
 39. Semen donors were resident for at least the 3 months before semen collection in a 
country or zone that is free from FMD without vaccination in accordance with the OIE 
Code ; OR  
 
40. The herds of origin, semen collection centre, donor animals and semen for export must 
comply with OIE Code  recommendations for export of bovine semen from countries or 
zones presenting a risk of FMD; AND 
 41. MAF  will individually approve each semen collection, processing and storage facility/ies 
in the exporting country intended to be used during the preparation of an export consignment to New Zealand. The approval will be dependant on the facility, its location and operating standards and that the verification systems of the veterinary authority  
achieve a very high level of risk  management for FMD. The process for MAF  approval 
may include site inspection. MAF  reserves the right to supervise collection, require the 
use of New Zealand approved semen collection personnel, or require any other measures deemed necessary to ensure comp liance with facility and operating standards 
upon which the approval is based.  
 
Bovine herpes virus abortifacient strains (IBR/IPV)  
 EITHER 
 
42. The semen collection centre must have been maintained as free from IBR/IPV from the 
commencement until after conclusion of collection of semen for export to New Zealand 
through compliance with the recommendations in the OIE Code , including:  
o testing all cattle, prior to entering pre-entry isolation, for antibodies using a prescribed 
test, with negative results;  AND 
o testing all cattle, in pre-entry isolation, for antibodies, with negative results, or where 
an animal in a group has tested positive, re-testing the remaining animals with negative results not less than 21 days after removal of the positive animal;  AND 
o thereafter, annual re-testing of all donor bulls for antibodies, with negative results;  
AND  
o a negative antibody test result from sampling after the time of collection of semen for 
export to New Zealand must be supplied; OR 
 43. An aliquot equivalent to at least 0.05ml of raw semen from each semen collection for the 
export consignment to New Zealand must have been subjected to a VI test or validated PCR test, for both BHV1 and BHV5, with negative results.  
 
Lumpy skin disease (LSD) 
 EITHER 
 44. Semen donors must have been resident for 6 months prior to semen collection in a 
country or zone that is free of LSD as defined by the OIE Code ; OR 
 
45. Semen donors must have been resident in an establishment or semen collection centre 
that was free of clinical evidence of LSD during a period from at least 6 months prior to 
commencement until 28 days after conclusion of collection of semen for export to New Zealand; OR 
 46. An aliquot equivalent to at least 0.05ml of raw semen from each semen collection for the 
export consignment to New Zealand must have been subjected to a validated PCR test for LSD, with negative result.  
Import health standard for bovine semen  
BOVSEMID.GEN 21 June 2010  Page 9 of 11 
  
Rift Valley fever (RVF) 
 EITHER 
 47. Semen donors were resident, for at least the 3 months prior to and during semen 
collection, for consignment to New Zealand, in a country or zone that is free from RVF in accordance with the OIE Code ; OR  
 
48. Semen donors were resident for the 6 months prior to and during collection of semen for 
export to New Zealand in a RVF infected country, during which climatic changes 
predisposing to outbreaks have not occurred; OR 
 49. Semen donors have been held in mosquito-free premises for the period at least 30 days 
prior to commencement until conclusion of collection of semen for the consignment to New Zealand. 
 
Vesicular stomatitis (VS) 
 EITHER 
 50. Semen donors were resident in a country that is free from VS in accordance with the OIE 
Code ; OR 
 51. VS is officially notifiable in the exporting country, and no cases have occurred within 
100km of the semen collection centre during the period from 30 days prior to commencement until 30 days after conclusion of collection for export to New Zealand; OR 
 52. Donors were kept in insect free premises from at least the 30 days prior to 
commencement until conclusion of semen collection for export to New Zealand, and were 
subject to a validated serological test for VS, with negative results, between 3-6 weeks after semen collection for the consignment to New Zealand. 
 
Bovine brucellosis 
 EITHER 
 53. Donors have been kept since birth in a country or zone that is free from bovine brucellosis in accordance with the OIE Code ; OR 
 
54. The semen collection centre must have been maintained as free from bovine brucellosis 
from the commencement until after conclusion of collection of semen for export to New 
Zealand through compliance with the recommendations in the OIE Code  in relation to 
bovine brucellosis, including:  o Prior to entry into pre-entry isolation the donor bulls were either from a country or 
zone that is free from bovine brucellosis in accordance with the OIE Code ; OR were 
from a herd officially free from bovin e brucellosis in accordance with the OIE Code  
and were subjected to a prescribed serological test for bovine brucellosis with negative results during the 30 days prior to departure for the semen collection centre; AND  
o Donor animals, in pre-entry isolation prior to entering the semen collection facilities, 
were subjected to a serological test for Brucella abortus , with negative results; AND  
Import health standard for bovine semen  
BOVSEMID.GEN 21 June 2010  Page 10 of 11 
 o All bulls and teasers resident in the semen collection facilities have been tested, at 
least annually for bovine brucellosis, with negative results. 
 
Bovine tuberculosis 
 
EITHER  55. Donors have been kept since birth in a country t hat is free from bovine tuberculosis in 
accordance with the OIE Code ; OR 
 56. The semen collection centre must have been maintained as free from bovine tuberculosis 
from the commencement until after conclusion of collection of semen for export to New Zealand through compliance with the recommendations in the OIE Code  in relation to 
bovine tuberculosis, including:  
o Prior to entry into pre-entry isolation the donor bulls were either from a country that is 
free from bovine tuberculosis in accordance with the OIE Code ; OR were from a herd 
officially free from bovine tuberculosis in accordance with the OIE Code  and were 
subjected to an OIE prescribed test for bovine tuberculosis with negative results 
during the 30 days prior to departure for the semen collection centre; AND  
o All bulls and teasers resident in the semen collection facilities have been tested, at 
least annually, using an OIE prescribed test for bovine tuberculosis, with negative 
results. 
 
Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) 
 EITHER 
 57. Semen donors were born in and have been continuously resident in a country that is free 
from CBPP in accordance with the OIE Code ; OR 
 
58. Semen donors have never been vaccinated for CBPP; AND 
 
59. Semen donors have been kept since birth or for at least the 6 months prior to 
commencement and until conclusion of semen collection for export to New Zealand in establishments where no case of CBPP has been reported and which are not situated in a CBPP infected zone as defined by the OIE Code ; AND 
 60. Semen donors must have been serologically tested for CBPP, with negative results, 
using OIE prescribed methods on two occasions 21-30 days apart, with the last test within 14 days prior to semen collection for export to New Zealand. 
 Mycoplasma bovis 
 
EITHER  61. Semen donors were subjected to a MAF approved  serological test for Mycoplasma bovis , 
with negative result, on a sample collected between 21 and 120 days after the last collection of germplasm for export to New Zealand; OR 
 62. An aliquot equivalent to at least 0.05ml of raw semen from each semen collection for the 
export consignment to New Zealand must have been subjected to a validated PCR test for Mycoplasma bovis , with negative result; OR 
  
Import health standard for bovine semen  
BOVSEMID.GEN 21 June 2010  Page 11 of 11 
 63. The resident herd of cattle on the semen collection centre has been subject to a MAF 
approved  whole herd serological test or a serological test on a random sample of at least 
60 animals (whichever is the lesser number) for Mycoplasma bovis no more than 6 
months before/after semen collection for consignment to New Zealand, with negative 
results.  
 
Q fever 
 
EITHER  
 
64. Semen donors were subjected to a MAF  approved serological test for Q fever, with 
negative result, on a sample collected between 21 and 120 days after the last collection of germplasm for export to New Zealand; OR 
 
65. An aliquot equivalent to at least 0.05ml of raw semen from each semen collection for the 
export consignment , to New Zealand, has been subjected to a validated and MAF  
approved PCR test for  Q fever, with negative result; OR 
 
66. The resident herd of cattle on the semen collection centre has been subjected to a MAF 
approved  whole herd serological test or a serological test on a random sample of at least 
60 animals (whichever is the lesser number) for Q fever no more than 6 months before/after semen collection for consignment to New Zealand, with negative results.  
 
 
PART D.  EQUIVALENCE 
 
67. The requirements for importation of bovine semen are met if, in the opinion of the 
Director-General, the measures taken for managing the risks associated with the 
importation of those goods, are equally effective at managing those risks as the requirements specified in (1) to (66) above.  If an equivalence measure (s) is approved, MAF  will issue an Import Permit (under Section 22 of the Biosecurity Act).