Import Health Standard 
for 
Ornamental Products of Animal Origin 
 
Inetroic.all 
 
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry 
P.O Box 2526 
Wellington 6011 
New Zealand 
Import Health Standard for Ornamental Products of Animal Origin         05 May 2011                             Page 1 of 9  
 
  
ISSUING AUTHORITY 
 
This standard is issued under section 22 of the Biosecurity Act 1993.  
   Dated at Wellington this 05 day of May 2011 
 
  
Director General 
Ministry of Agriculture an
d Forestry (MAF) 
 
  
 
 
                               
 
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Import Health Standard for Ornamental Products of Animal 
Origin 
 
CONTENTS 
 
PART A. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 4  
BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................. 4  
SCOPE ......................................................................................................................................... 4  
DEFINITIONS ................................................................................................................................5  
PART B. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS .................................................................................... 6  
DOCUMENTATION ........................................................................................................................ 6  
PACKAGING ................................................................................................................................. 6  
PART C. COMMODITY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS ............................................................ 6  
GAME TROPHY SKULLS , HORNS , HOOVES , ANTLERS , BONES , TUSKS , CLAWS , AND TEETH ..... 6 
PICKLED GAME TROPHY HIDES AND SKINS ................................................................................. 7  
IRRADIATED GAME TROPHY HIDES AND SKINS ............................................................................ 7  
DRIED OR SALTED GAME TROPHY HIDES AND SKINS .................................................................. 7  
PART D. CLEARANCE ................................................................................................................ 8  
PART E. EQUIVALENCE ............................................................................................................ 9  
PART F. REVOCATION ............................................................................................................... 9  
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
   
 
  
 
  
 
 
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PART A. INTRODUCTION 
 
Background 
 
1. Under section 22 of the Act, this docum ent is the Import Health Standard for 
Ornamental 
Products of Animal Origin. 
 
2. A Guidance Document will be issued by MAF to accompany this Import 
Health Standard. This document will provide guidance information relevant to how the requirements may be met.  
 
3. 
Consignments of product imported under this standard must comply with the 
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and 
Flora . These requirements are independent of the import health standard 
requirements.  
 
Scope 
 
4. This standard specifies the requirements that must be met to import 
ornamental products of animal origin into New Zealand from all countries.  
 
5. For the purposes of this standard, ornamental products of animal origin 
means non-viable products made of animals, or the parts of animals, that are generally used for decorative/display purposes. This includes:  
i. Shells, marine ornaments, and dry coral.  
ii. Manufactured articles derived from horn, bone, beak, tusk and tooth 
(e.g. knives, jewellery) 
iii. Fly-tying material containing animal skin/fibre  
iv. Fully tanned leather and leather goods  
v. Blown eggs or egg shell ornaments/painting  
vi. Rawhide articles and handicrafts  
vii. Mounted and unmounted game trophies 
 6. The following products are excluded under this standard:  
i. Commercial hides and skins that are untanned 
ii. Animal fibres e.g. bristles, wool, fur  
iii. Feathers on handicrafts e.g. arrows, dream catchers, shields.    
iv. Preserved animal specimens e.g. in liquid formalin/alcohol  
 7. Ornamental products of animal origin must meet the general requirements 
contained in Part B of this standard and the specific requirements contained 
in Part C of this standard where they apply.  
 
Outcome 
 
8. Except for specified commodities as listed under Part C of this standard, all 
ornamental products of animal origin must be free of adherent fat, muscle, 
sinew, blood, extraneous organic material, infestation, and evidence of 
decay. 
 
 
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Definitions 
The definitions below relate to terms used in this standard  
 
Fully tanned leather and leather goods   
Goods containing hides and skins that have undergone a full tanning process so that they are preserved from putrescence and are thermally stable. They can be 
jackets, shoes, lounge suites, or fully tanned game trophy hides/skins with fibre 
attached).  
 
MAF list of FMD free countries/zones 
A document listing t
he countries and/or zones that MAF recognise as free from 
Foot and Mouth Disease (see http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/pests/foot-n-
mouth/fmd-free-countries-and-zones.pdf ). 
 Manufacturer’s declaration  
A document prepared by the manufacturer (taxidermist) on letterhead paper and signed by the quality manager or equivalent of the manufacturing premises. It 
must contain the correct statement/s as required by the import conditions, and be 
specific to the product and consignment.   
Mounted game trophy   
An animal of any species that has undergone a complete taxidermy process 
(professionally cleaned and processed by a taxidermist) thus ensuring it’s 
preservation at ambient temperatures. These can be whole animals, heads of animals, and/or skulls/antlers mounted onto shields.  
 
Official veterinarian 
A veterinarian authorised by the Veterinary Authority of the country to perform certain designated official tasks associated with animal health and/or public 
health and inspections of commodities and, when appropriate, to certify in conformity with the provisions of the Section 5.2 of the OIE Code
 pertaining to 
principles of certification. 
 
OIE Code The World Organisation for Animal Health’s Terrestrial Animal Health Code – 
available online at http://www.oie.int/international-standard-setting/terrestrial-
code/access-online/   
 
Rawhide articles and handicrafts   
Items containing hides and skins that have been cleaned, dried, and 
manufactured into articles and handicrafts (e.g. traditional drums, hunting shields). This includes cultural heritage items or items of cultural value that are used for performances or decorative purposes containing hides or skins.  
Unmounted game trophy   
The skulls, 
horns, hooves, antlers, bones, tusks, claws, teeth, hides, or skins of a 
wild animal taken as game from a hunting expedition that have not been fixed onto a mount. The item is to be further processed into a mounted animal trophy by a taxidermist for exhibition. 
 
 
 
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Veterinary certificate  
A certificate, signed by an official veterinarian of the exporting country’s 
competent authority, issued in conformity with the provisions of Chapter 5.2 of the OIE Code
, describing the animal health and/or public health requirements 
which are fulfilled by the exported commodities.  See Guidance Document for 
model veterinary certificates  
  PART B. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS  
 
Documentation   
9. All products imported under this standard must be accompanied by 
information that identifies the origin of the product (i.e. country or zone), the 
destination in New Zealand (for unaccompanied goods), and adequately describes the nature of the product. 
 
10. Documentation accompanying products as specified in Part C below must be  
i. original, unless otherwise specified, AND  
 
ii. in English or have an English translation available.  
 
Packaging  
 
11. Packaging must be free of any contaminants, and must be appropriate given 
the nature of the goods to effectively contain any potential biosecurity risks. 
  
PART C. COMMODITY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS  
 Game trophy skulls, horns, hooves, antlers, bones, tusks, claws, and 
teeth  
12. All imports of un-mounted game trophy  skulls, horns, hooves, antlers, bones, 
tusks, claws, and teeth must have been: 
 
i. boiled at a minimum of 100°C for at least 30 minutes; AND 
 
ii. processed so that all adherent tissues have been completely 
removed; AND 
 
iii. packaged immediately after treatment in a manner so as to ensure 
that there is no subsequent contamination with untreated goods of 
similar nature;  AND 
 
iv. verified as free of extraneous organic material, infestation, and 
evidence of decay; AND 
 
v. accompanied by a manufacturer’s declaration  verifying the above 
conditions have been met. 
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Pickled game trophy hides and skins 
 
13. All imports of un-mounted pickled ga me trophy hi des and skins must have 
been: 
 
i. subjected to a pickling process in a solution of salt and mineral acid at 
a pH equal to or less than 4, AND 
 
ii. verified as free of extraneous organic material, infestation, and 
evidence of decay; AND 
 
iii.
 packaged immediately after treatment in a manner so as to ensure 
that there is no subsequent contamination with untreated goods of 
similar nature. 
 
iv. accompanied by a veterinary certificate  verifying the above conditions 
have been met 
 
Irradiated game trophy hides and skins 
 
14. All imports of un-mounted irradiated game trophy hides and skins must have 
been: 
 
i. 
irradiated with a minimum dose of 5 Mrad (50kGy) in a closed and 
sealed package, AND 
 
ii. packaged immediately after treatment in a manner so as to ensure 
that there is no subsequent contamination with untreated goods of similar nature; AND 
 
iii. accompanied by a veterinary certificate
 verifying the above conditions 
have been met. 
 
Dried or salted game trophy hides and skins 
 
15. All imports of un-mounted dried or salted game trophy hides and skins must 
have been: 
  
i. 
derived only from mammalian species; AND 
 
ii. verified as free of extraneous organic material, infestation, evidence of 
decay; AND 
 
iii. accompanied by a veterinary certificate  containing attestations in 
accordance with either clause 18 or 19 of this standard. 
 
16. For hides and skins from countries/zones free from foot and mouth disease 
(as listed in the MAF list of FMD free countries/zones ), the hides/skins have 
been: 
 
i. Dried, dry or wet salted, for at least 14 days; AND 
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ii. Sourced from an area free from any outbreaks/epidemics of anthrax; 
OR 
 
iii. fumigated with ethylene dioxide 500 mg/L, at relative humidity 20 –
 40%, at 55°C for 30 minutes; OR 
 
iv. fumigated with formaldehyde 400 mg/m³ at relative humidity 30%, at 
>15°C for 4 hours; OR 
 
v. gamma irradiated with a dose of 40 kGy. 
 
17. 
For hides and skins from countries not free from foot and mouth disease (i.e. 
not listed in the MAF list of FMD free countries/zones ) the hides/skins have 
been: 
 
i. Dry or wet salted with salt containing 2% sodium carbonate for at 
least 28 days; AND 
 
ii. Sourced from an area free from any outbreaks/epidemics of anthrax; 
OR 
 
iii. fumigated with ethylene dioxide 500 mg/L, at relative humidity 20 –
 40%, at 55°C for 30 minutes; OR 
 
iv. fumigated with formaldehyde 400 mg/m³ at relative humidity 30%, at 
>15°C for 4 hours; OR 
 
v. gamma irradiated with a dose of 40 kGy. 
 
See Guidance Document for model veterinary certificates 
 
 
PART D. CLEARANCE 
 
18. A biosecurity clearance, under section 26 of the Act, will be issued when 
ornamental products of animal origin meet all the requirements of this standard.  
 19. Ornamental products of animal origin that do not meet the requirements of 
this standard in full must be reshipped, destroyed or treated. 
 
 
20. Where products imported under this standard are authorised for treatment 
this must occur on arrival, or at an approved transitional facility in accordance 
with the MAF Standard for Approved Biosecurity Treatments . 
 
   
 
  
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 PART E. EQUIVALENCE 
 
21. The requirements for ornamental products of animal origin 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 (20) above.  If an 
equivalence measure(s) is approved MAF will issue a permit to import (under Section 22 of the Act).  
  PART F. REVOCATION 
 
22. This standard revokes the following standards:  
i. MAF Biosecurity Standard INETROIC.ALL: Ornamental animal 
products from all countries (7 December 2005) 
 
ii. MAF Biosecurity Standard INETROIC.EEC: Mammalian game 
trophies from the European Community (29 September 2004) 
 
iii. MAF Biosecurity Standard TROFURIC.AUS: Private consignments of 
un-tanned trophy fur skins from Australia (19 January 1998)