WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/AUS/230 
27 March 2009  
 (09-1510) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
 
 
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
1. Notifying Member:  AUSTRALIA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Biosecurity Australia, Australian Government Department of 
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 
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):  Hatching (fertile) eggs of ducks 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[ X ] All trading partners, or [   ] Specific regions or countries:    
5. Title of the notified document:  Importation of Hatching (Fertile) Duck Eggs from 
Approved Countries – Draft Policy Review  Language:  English  Number of pages:  73 
6. Description of content:  This policy review considers the quarantine risks that may be 
associated with the importation into Austra lia of hatching eggs from domestic ducks 
(Anas  spp. and Cairina moschata ) from approved sources.  Under the current import 
requirements the approved sources are the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), France, Canada, Netherlands , Germany, Ireland and New Zealand. 
The policy review proposes that importation of  hatching (fertile) duck s eggs from approved 
countries, is revised by reducing the post arrival quarantine (PAQ) period from 12 to 
9 weeks and that: 
• vaccination of donor flocks against duck hepatitis virus type I be permitted; 
• vaccination of donor flocks against Newcastle disease continues to be permitted but 
restricted to the use of  inactivated vaccines; 
• reference to Salmonella  Pullorum and Salmonella  Gallinarum and the requirement for 
serological testing for these agents be removed from the import requirements as ducks 
are relatively resistant to infection and are not known reservoirs of these agents. 
Bacteriological testing for Salmonella  spp. is still required post-arrival; 
• reference to Salmonella  Arizona and the specific test requirements for this agent be 
removed from the import requirements as this disease agent is present in Australia and is not considered to ha ve an adverse impact; 
• reference to Riemerella anatipestifer  be removed from the import requirements as this 
agent is not egg-transmitted and is present in Australia; G/SPS/N/AUS/230 
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   • testing for Salmonella  Enteritidis be revised, removing the requirement to test culled 
ducklings and faeces post-arrival.  All othe r testing requirements remain; that is, pre-
export testing of the source flock and post-a rrival serology and bacteriological culture 
for Salmonella  spp. of pipped embryos, hatchery waste and ducklings that die in PAQ 
will continue;  and 
• testing in PAQ for multi-drug resistant Salmonella  Typhimurium DT104 be 
introduced.  This will be undertaken as part of the post-arrival bacteriological culture 
for Salmonella  spp. of hatchery waste, pipped embryos and ducklings that die in PAQ. 
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. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex standard 
or related text)    
[ X ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)   Terrestrial Animal Health Code, Chapters 
6.3, 6.4, 10.4, 10.7, 10.8, 10.10, 10.11, 10.13  
[   ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM N°)     
[   ] None Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
 [   ] Yes   [ X ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  Refer to draft review for de viations from the international 
standard. 
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:  Conditions 
for the Importation from Approved Countri es of Fertile Eggs (Domestic Duck) - 
Amendment to Import Conditions (2006) , in English available at  
http://www.daff.gov.au/ba/reviews/final-animal/hatching-eggs  and Conditions for the 
Importation from Approved Countries of Fer tile Eggs (Domestic Duck) - Adoption of 
Revised Conditions (1999) , in English available at http://www.daff.gov.au/ba/ira/final-
animal/hatchingeggs-ducks  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined.  
Propose date of publication ( dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [   ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined. 
[ X ] Trade facilitating measure   G/SPS/N/AUS/230 
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  12. Final date for comments: [   ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or ( dd/mm/yy ):  20 April 2009 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] National Notification 
Authority, [ X ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:    
The Australian SPS Contact Point 
GPO Box 858 Canberra Act 2601 Australia Fax:  +(61 2)  6272 3678 
Email:  sps.contact@daff.gov.au 
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National Notification Authority, [ X ] National Enquiry 
Point.  Address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:    
The Australian SPS Contact Point  
GPO Box 858 Canberra Act 2601 Australia 
Fax:  +(61 2) 6272 3678 
E-mail:  sps.contact@daff.gov.au 
Report available (in English) from Biosecurity Australia's website: 
http://www.daff.gov.au/ba/reviews/current-
animal/importation_of_hatching_fer tile_duck_eggs_from_approved_countries