. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/NZL/393/Add.2 
6 May 2009  
 (09-2218) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
Addendum
 
  
The following communication, received on 1 May 2009, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of New Zealand
. 
 
_______________  
  
Frozen, skinless, boneless fish fillets (or mince derived from fillets) of non-CITES listed spp. of 
catfish ( Pangasius  spp.) for human consumption from Vietnam  
 
The import health standard for specified pr ocessed freshwater fish for human consumption 
from specified countries currently only contains  tilapia from the People's Republic of China and 
Brazil.  This standard has now been amended to include catfish from Vietnam.  This amendment is 
based on the import risk analysis:  frozen  skinless and boneless fillet meat of Pangasius  spp. fish from 
Vietnam for human consumption.  The import conditi ons are identical to the current conditions for 
processed tilapia from the People's Republic of China and Brazil. 
 
General sanitary measures were considered necessary: 
(a) to ensure that the likelihood of clinically or  subclinically diseased fish being harvested for 
processing is minimised: 
− both the farm of origin and the processing facility must be registered with the competent 
authority of the country in question; 
− fish processed must be derived from broodstock resident in the exporting country; 
− fish showing clinical signs of disease, septicaemia or skin ulceration must not be harvested 
for processing into this commodity; and 
− fish harvested must not be subject to emergency slaughter for disease reasons, regardless of 
whether or not they display clinical signs themselves. 
(b) to avoid contamination of the commod ity with exotic foodborne pathogens: 
− only potable water should be used during the processing of the fish into fillet meat. 
(c) to ensure compliance with freezing and transport regime included in the commodity definition: 
− to ensure that the inactivation of pathogenic and parasitic organisms, caused by the freezing 
process, does occur it must be determined that the commodity was frozen and held at -18°C, 
or lower, for at least 7 days (168 hours) before a biosecurity clearance is issued. 
 
This addendum concerns a: 
 
 [   ] Modification of final date for comments  [   ] Notification of adoption, publication or entry into force of regulation  [ X ] Modification of content and/or scope of previously notified draft regulation 
 [   ] Withdrawal of proposed regulation 
 [   ] Change in proposed date of adoptio n, publication or date of entry into force G/SPS/N/NZL/393/Add.2 
Page 2  
 
   [   ] Other:    
 
Comment period: (If the addendum extends the scope of th e previously notified measure in terms 
of products and/or potentially affected Members, a new deadline for receipt of comments should be 
provided, normally of at least 60 calendar days.  Under other circumstances, such as extension of 
originally announced final date for comments, th e comment period provided in the Addendum may 
vary.)  
 [   ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the addendum to the notification and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) :  N/A 
 Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] National Notification Authority, [   ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body
: 
 
Ms Sally Jennings, Coordinator, SPS New 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.maf.govt.nz/biosecurity/sps /transparency/notifications/index.htm  
 
Text available from:  [ X ] National Notification Authority, [   ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, 
fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body : 
 
Ms Sally Jennings, Coordinator, SPS New 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.maf.govt.nz/biosecurity/sps/tr ansparency/notifications/index.htm  
  
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