DRAFT VETERINARY QUARANTINE REGULATIONS

DRAFT VETERINARY QUARANTINE REGULATIONS ARTICLE (1) DEFNITIONS AND EXPRESSIONS The Minister Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries The Ministry Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Slaughter Animals Imported animals for direct slaughter or those which stay under veterinary supervision from their arrival until they are slaughtered. Breeding Animals Imported animals for other purposes other than direct slaughter such as fattening and breeding etc. Equidae: Horses, mules, donkeys, zebras and ponies. Pets Animals kept in houses such as the cats, dogs, and ornamental birds e.g. parrots, peacocks and ornamental fish. Animal Products Meat and poultry and fresh, chilled, frozen, smoked, dried and processed fish and meat and fish powder and fresh, dried, concentrated and evaporated milk and its products such as cheese and butter and eggs whether for consumption or hatching and egg powder and semen, embryos and animal gelatin. Animal by-products Includes refuse and fresh and dried blood, horns, hoofs, hairs, wool, furs, feathers, animal manures, bones, intestines, rumen and the remains of animals used in fertilizers and fish fins and bones and bones and sea shell powder. Biological Products 1

Includes vaccines, viruses, live or processed and killed microbes intended for animal diseases, diagnosis, research, treatment and protection. Semen Semen from breeding animals (mammals and birds) which used in artificial insemination process. Embryos Live fertilized egg from breeding animals (mammals and birds) Veterinary Medical Products Veterinary Medicines Accompanying Exigencies: Include saddles and ruins and filling tools and covers and saddle blankets and all tools accompanying the animal. Supervising Doctor Veterinary doctor appointed by the supervising government authority responsible for the veterinary quarantine. Competent Veterinary Authority Quarantine. Veterinary Department responsible for the Veterinary Animal Feed consumption. Processed and unprocessed food substances used for animal Quarantine Any building or a group of buildings in which the animals are completely isolated under the supervision and monitoring of the supervising doctor to ensure their freedom from infection of diseases without allowing them to mingle directly with other animals. Infectious Diseases Any contagious and infectious disease classified under lists (A & b) as per the classification of the International Office of Epizooties (OIE) and the forthcoming amendments. 2

Animal Consignment and Transit All animals, animal products and by products whether incoming or outgoing or passing through the country on which the provision of this regulation shall apply. Approved Certificate (attested) Certificate issued and endorsed by government authority and if it is issued by any authority other than Gulf Cooperative Council Countries it shall be attested by the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman or any one of the member countries Embassies or their representatives or their acting authority. ARTICIEL (2): The Country Sultanate of Oman Member Countries Arabian Gulf Countries of the Cooperative Council CHAPTER TWO Veterinary Quarantine The import of all types of animals, animal products and byproducts (feed and biological products to and from the Sultanate shall be subject to the rules and provisions of this veterinary quarantine regulations. ARTICLE (2.1): The entry of the imported animals or animal products and byproducts or accompanying exigencies shall be authorized only through the recognized entry ports or inlets. ARTICLE (2.2): The Minister on advice from the competent veterinary authority in the Ministry may prevent the entry of animals through some inlet ports or add other new inlets. ARTICLE (3): Any one who wishes to import animals or animal products or by-products or biological products shall submit an application to the competent 3

veterinary authority for obtaining veterinary health certificate indicating the type of the animal, animal product or accompanying exigency and the selling and shipping authority and the arrival date of the consignment, the transportation mean and the inlet port. ARTICLE (3.1): The importing entities of the animals shall notify the veterinary quarantine authority of the competent veterinary authority about the arrival date of the animals atleast 48 hours before the actual arrival date. ARTICLE (3.2): ARTICLE (3.3): The import veterinary permit shall be valid for one month. The Minister on advice from the competent veterinary authority in the Ministry may apply the same action with respect to the export. ARTICIEL (4): ARTICIEL (4.1): The competent veterinary authority shall preserve the right to take any action it may consider necessary with respect to the inspection, health conditions, tests, vaccination and to take samples of the imported consignment or products or animal by products and send them to the laboratories to ensure their clearance from the infectious and contagious diseases and their suitability for human consumption before releasing them. ARTICLE (4.2): If it is proven that the imported consignment is not suitable for consumption, it shall be rejected and prohibited from entry to the Sultanate and shall be returned to the country of origin or destroyed on the account of the importer. A certificate shall be issued by the supervising doctor indicating the rejection of the consignment, the reasons for the rejection and the destruction of the consignment if it has been carried out. ARTICLE (4.3): The entry of the consignments of animals, feed, veterinary biological products and accompanying exigencies to the Sultanate from countries other than the member countries shall not be permitted except through the recognized inlet ports which have veterinary quarantines and the competent veterinary authority may authorize when necessary the entry of the imported 4

animals through all or some of the ports and inlets and place them in the veterinary quarantines for the period it may consider necessary. ARTICLE (4.4): The entry of the animals arriving on foot to the Sultanate shall not be authorized without obtaining a license in advance from the competent veterinary authority and it shall be inspected by the supervising doctor whether they are intended for slaughter, grazing or breeding purposes. ARTICLE (5): ARTICLE (5.1): The imported consignment of animals, animal products or byproducts or feed for consumption, processing or other purposes shall be accompanied with international veterinary health certificate issued by a government authority in the country of origin and endorsed by the Embassy of the Sultanate or any country of the member countries and shall satisfy all health conditions and details required in the imported consignment along with the following details: ARTICIEL (5.1.1): The name of the consignor, the country of origin, name of the importer, number of the animals or the quantity of the consignment, particulars of the consignment, the exporting country, number of the production operation, date of the production and expiry and the consignment distinguishing marks. ARTICLE (5.1.2): The competent veterinary authority in the Sultanate may request any additional clarifications and details in the health certificates according to the development in the country of origin, export and transit to ensure the safety of the consignment. ARTICLE (5.2): The imported animal consignments shall be accompanied with import veterinary permit issued by the competent veterinary authority. ARTICLE (5.3): Government certificate from the country of origin indicating the clearance of the imported animal consignment from radiation substances. ARTICLE (5.4): conditions: The imported consignment shall satisfy the following 5

ARTICLE (5.4.1) Live Animals: the health certificate shall show the vaccinations, tests and other health measures applied to these animals before exporting them and all conditions to be met in the animal consignment. submission of a report from the captain of the ship or plane or the responsible official of the transportation mean indicating whether there are any moralities or not among the imported animals during their journey and that they have not mingled with any other animals infected with infectious or contagious diseases and not offloaded or passed through infected areas. The certificate shall be handed over to the supervising doctor immediately on arrival. ARTICLE (5.4.4.1): The cattle, sheep and goats imported for direct slaughter: The consignment shall be free from all diseases. The consignment shall be imported from a country free from any infectious and contagious diseases mentioned in list A as per the classification of (OIE). The consignment shall not have shown any disease symptoms during its detention before the shipment or the travel until the arrival to the port of the Sultanate. The consignment shall be transported to the slaughterhouse or the veterinary quarantine or the designated markets for selling direct slaughter animals under the supervision of the veterinary control until the slaughter is carried out. The consignment arriving from countries which do not apply some quarantine measures shall be kept in the quarantine for (21) days. The supervising doctor may reduce the quarantine period if it is proven that the animals are in good health condition and have not shown any disease symptoms with a minimum period of (7) days. (Six) males. (Seven) veterinary certificate. All direct slaughter animals shall be castrated The items (a-b-f) shall be indicated in the shipment ARTICLE (5.4.1.2) Imported cattle for breeding purpose: 6

The countries from which the consignment is imported shall be free from all infectious and contagious diseases mentioned in list A of (OIE) classification The consignment shall be free form the infectious diseases mentioned in list B of (OIE) classification. Official declaration indicating that the father and mother of these animals are not carrying genetical defects. A proof that the animals have been inspected within a month before the shipment with respect to the tuberculosis, brucellosis, and trichomoniasis and the result proved to be negative. The certificate shall indicate the type of the test, its date and place and detailed description of the tested animal. A proof that the animals have been kept in the quarantine for the legal period as recommended by (OIE) according to the conditions of the exporting country. (Six) Each animal shall bear a distinguished mark. (Seven) All the previous items shall be indicated in the veterinary health certificate accompanying the consignment. ARTICLE (5.4.1.3) The imported sheep and goats for breeding purpose: The consignment shall be arriving from countries free from all infections and contagious diseases mentioned in List A as per the classification of (OIE). The consignment shall be free from the diseases mentioned in list B as per the classification of (OIE). Each animal shall bear a distinguishing mark. The consignment shall be kept in the quarantine before the shipment for the legal quarantine period according to the recommendations of (OIE) as per the conditions of the exporting country. All previous items shall be indicated in the veterinary health certificate accompanying the consignment. ARTICLE (5.4.1.4): ARTICLE (5.4.1.5): Equidae 7

Dogs and cats from rabies disease. The exporting country of the animals shall be free It shall be vaccinated against rabies disease within a period not to exceed six months from the date of the shipment or to be vaccinated on arrival at the account of the owner. In the case of the dogs which are less than 30 days of age they shall be vaccinated against the distemper, lepto spirosis, hepatitis and typhus. The cats less than 30 days of age shall be vaccinated against feline enteritis, feline trichitis and feline calsiroes. All the previous items shall be indicated in the veterinary health certificate accompanying the animal ARTICLE (5.4.1.6): Birds and ornamental birds: They shall be imported from countries free from all birds diseases mentioned in list A as per (OIE) classification. The birds shall be free from the diseases mentioned in list B of (OIE) classification. On importing ostrich and other wild birds, they shall be from countries free from Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever. ARTICLE (5.4.1.7): Eggs: First: Hatching eggs. The eggs shall be imported from a flock free from all diseases mentioned in the birds and ornamental birds (A-B) The eggs shall be fumigated with (formaline Potassium Permanganate) before shipment. Second: Table eggs. Each egg shall be stamped with the name of the producing country and the production and expiry date. 8

the Sultanate. It shall be complied with the standards observed in ARTICLE (5.4.1.8): Rabbits: The animals and farms from which the rabbits are taken shall be free from the diseases mentioned in the list issued by (OIE) ARTICLE (5.4.1.9) Monkeys: The animal shall be free from the following diseases: Yellow Fever, Rabies, Tuberculosis, Ebola, Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic fever, herpes virus B, Shigella, Salmonella, Campelo bacter, tetanus, polio, and monkey s green fever. ARTICLE (5.4.1.10): Gazelle Family: The countries from which the animals are imported shall be free from all infectious and contagious diseases mentioned in list A as per the classification of (OIE). The animals shall be free from the diseases mentioned in the conditions for importing the sheep and goats for breeding purpose. A proof that the animals have been tested within a month before shipment against tuberculosis disease provided that the test is carried out in one of the internationally recognized laboratories. (Six) The animals shall be kept in quarantine in the exporting country for the legal quarantine period as per the recommendations of (OIE) according to the conditions of the exporting country. ARTICLE (5.4.1.11): Wild Animals: 9

These animals shall be subject to the quarantine procedures according to the measurements applied to the breeding animals of the same family. These animals shall be vaccinated against the indigenous diseases for each family provided that only dead vaccines shall be applied to the breeding animals for the same disease. Live fish and Insects: contagious diseases. The fish shall be free from the infectious and They shall be in good health condition. They shall be not contaminated with any harmful material to the human, animal or environment. ARTICLE (5.4.1.13): Semen and Embryos: the exporting country. They shall be from a collection centre approved by The source animals shall be free from the infectious and contagious venereal diseases as per the classification lists A and B of (OIE). It shall be from countries free from the infectious and contagious diseases mentioned in list A. genetical diseases. The source animals shall be free from any The semen of the dogs and cats shall be from countries free from rabies disease. ARTICLE (5.4.2)-Biological Products The consignment shall be accompanied with original production certificate indicating the production and expiry date the manufacturing company and the medical formula for the veterinary biological product. The vaccines and medicines shall be approved for use in the manufacturing country or registered in one of the member countries. 10

ARTICLE (5.4.3.) Animal Products ARTICLE (5.4.3.1) The consignment shall be accompanied with a certificate from recognized Islamic Centre endorsed by the Embassy of the Sultanate or the Embassy of any one of the member countries indicating that the slaughter has been carried out according to Islamic Sharia by a Muslim and showing the date of the slaughter. Each slaughtered animal or part of it shall bear a mark indicating the date of the slaughter and that it has been slaughtered according to the Islamic Sharia both in Arabic and English language. The meat, poultry meat and internal parts shall be suitable for the consumption. The meat, poultry meat and internal parts shall be from animals free from the shared infectious and contagious diseases according to the recommendations of (OIE). They shall be inspected in government slaughter houses and proved to be free from the diseases which affect the validity for human consumption. (Six) The meat, poultry meat, and internal parts shall be packed directly according to the prevailing standards in the Sultanate (date of production, date of expiry, manufacturing country, exported to the Sultanate of Oman, type of the meat and the appropriate temperature for preservation) (Seven) All the previous details shall be indicated in the veterinary health certificate accompanying the consignment. ARTICLE (5.4.3.2): Milk Products This include the following: and cheese. Fresh Milk longlife, concentrated and dried milk, butter, ghee Milk products shall satisfy the following conditions: *. The product shall be suitable for human consumption. They shall be tested by a method which does not affect their basic components. 11

. Preservation materials shall not be added to these products in a manner violating the provisions of Codex Alimentarius adapted worldwide.. No materials shall be added to these products which have direct or indirect effect on the consumer health such as hormones. **. The products shall not be contaminated with any harmful substances to the consumer health. The products shall be packed according to the standards prevailing in the Sultanate (date of production and expiry, manufacturing country, analytical ratio of the basic components in the Sultanate.. The source animals of these products shall not be treated or vaccinated with any medicine or vaccine or any other materials which may affect the basic product components or its validity for human consumption.. The previous items shall be indicated in the veterinary health certificate accompanying the consignment in addition to the condition of the productive animals before and during the production period and the applied vaccines with the relevant dates and the conditions of the producing country in terms of the infectious and contagious diseases according to (OIE) classification. ARTICLE (5.4.3.3): Import Fish: consumption. The product shall be suitable for human The products shall be packed according to the specifications determined by Codex Alimentarius adopted internationally. The fish shall not be caught from waters or in a manner which affect the products quality or validity. All previous details shall be indicated in the veterinary health certificate accompanying the consignment. The production and expiry date, the country of origin and the preservation temperature shall be written on each package. ARTICLE (5.4.4) Feed, Feed Components, Feed Substitute The feed, its components and substitutes shall be free from the infectious and contagious diseases and suitable for animal consumption and also free from toxin and forbidden materials such spillage blood and pork 12

products. The product shall be accompanied with official analysis certificate indicating the following: *. Feed analytical description (chemical composition). Basic components and their sources. Feed type and the animals which use this feed. The country of origin The feed or its components or substitutes shall be packed according to the prevailing standards in the Sultanate. The production and expiry date shall be clearly written on each package. ARTICLE (5.4.5): Animal by-products and exigencies: They shall be from countries free from the infectious and contagious diseases according to (OIE) classifications in lists A B The animal by-products and exigencies (hair, wool) shall be disinfected or fumigated before the shipment immediately. ARTICLE (6): Exported Consignment: It shall be observed to obtain export license from the concerned authorities in the Sultanate. All animal, animal products and by-products and animal exigencies shall be subject to the provisions of this regulations. It shall be complied with all veterinary health precautions and conditions in the importing country according to the specifications and recommendations of Codex Alimentarius and (OIE). The export operation shall be carried out only after completing all inspection and test procedures and health measures and taking samples for laboratory test and as the supervising doctor decides at the shipping outlet to ensure the safety of exported animal consignments and their compliance with the veterinary health conditions and he shall issue an international veterinary certificate to the exporter confirming that. ARTICLE (7): Transit Animal Consignments: 13

All animal, animal products and by-products and consignees which pass through the Sultanate land shall be subject to the rules and provisions of this regulations. ARTICLE (8): ARTICLE (8.1) CHAPTER THREE Work Organization in Veterinary Quarantine The veterinary quarantine doctor immediately on the arrival of the imported animal, animal products and by products, animal consignments shall take the necessary actions for inspecting these products and may take samples for laboratory test to ensure their clearance from the infectious and contagious diseases and their validity before clearing them. If it is proven that they are not valid they shall be rejected denied the authorization for entry and shall be returned to the country of origin or destroyed on the account of the importer who shall be given a certificate which show the reasons for rejecting the consignment. ARTICLE (8.2): The supervising doctor shall have all the required international documents and veterinary health certificates at the arrival port. ARTICLE (8.3) The supervising doctor shall have the right to carry out post-mortem examination to the corpses of the animals or dead birds in the imported consignment and to take samples of them for laboratory test to ensure the safety of the animals from the infectious and contagious diseases before authorizing them to enter the country. ARTICLE (8.4) If a consignment is rejected in the Sultanate the concerned authority in the country shall immediately notify the Secretariat General of the Cooperative Council with the details of this consignment so that the rest of the member countries can be advised accordingly. ARTICLE (9): The suspected animals of being infected with infectious or contagious disease in the Quarantine shall be subject to the necessary procedures such as testing, vaccinating, disinfecting, treating, slaughtering and destroying the animals and disposing off their bodies and the owners of these animals shall not have the right to ask for any compensation to this effect. ARTICLE (10) The concerned authorities shall have the right to prevent any 14

transportation mean from entering the Sultanate if it is found out according to a report from the competent veterinary authority that it is carrying or has been carrying any animal or animal products or by-products infected with one of the contagious diseases and not has been disinfected in a manner which ensure that the disease will not be transferred to the human or the animal. ARTICLE (11) On the arrival of any transportation mean to the Sultanate and after inspecting its load of animal, animal products or by-products consignment if it has been noted that it is carrying what may cause harm to the human or the animal, the competent veterinary authority shall have the right to order the disinfection of these products on the account of the importer and shall preserve the right to place the load in the veterinary quarantine for applying the required measurements according to this regulations. ARTICLE (12) Quarantine: The animals which decided to be kept in the veterinary ARTICLE (12.1): Transportation from the entry point to the quarantine: The importer shall provide the transportation mean from the inlet port to the quarantine on his own account. The transported animals or birds to the quarantine shall not mingle with any other animals or birds during the transportation to the quarantine. ARTICLE (12.2): individuals Disinfection of the equipment, transportation means and All vehicles, boxes, tools and consignees which are not used or to be brought inside the Quarantine shall be cleaned and disinfected before permitting them to enter or leave or stay in the Quarantine. All persons who enter the Quarantine shall use the disinfections if the responsible officer of the Quarantine considers that as necessary. Responsibilities: The owners of the imported animals which are kept in the quarantine shall be obliged to take care of these animals, feed 15

them and supervise their cleaning from their arrival until their release on their own account. The importer shall bear the costs of the loading and off loading the animals and birds and their entry to the quarantine and departing it. If the owners of the imported animals show failure or negligence to comply with the above, the competent veterinary authority shall have the right to carry out such obligation on the account of the animals owner and to collect the relevant fees through the administrative means. The imported animals owner shall not have the right to store feed in the Quarantine in quantities exceeding the consumption of the detained animals for more than one week. The balance of such feed shall be burnt and shall not be permitted to leave the Quarantine under any circumstances. The owners of the animals or their representatives may enter the quarantine for taking care of the animals and feeding them according to procedures decided by the supervising doctor. ARTICLE (12.4): Visits It shall be prohibited to anyone to enter the Quarantine without obtaining a permission in advance from the Quarantine supervising doctor. ARTICLE (12.5) When the diseases emerge during the Quarantine period: If an infectious or contagious disease emerge during the Quarantine period in the animals or birds the necessary precautionary measures shall be taken to prevent its spread inside and outside the quarantine. The infected animals shall be treated or slaughtered or isolated as may be decided by the supervising doctor. The corpse of the perished animals shall be disposed off through burning or burying in calcium. The imported infected and mingled animals for direct slaughter shall be inspected for determining its suitability for human consumption according to the decision of the supervising doctor. An accurate disinfection operation shall be carried out to all pens, areas, cages, tools and consigenciess under competent technical supervision before reuse on the account of the importer or the 16

owner of the consignment. ARTICLE (12.6): The tools or remains of any type shall not be taken out of the Quarantine without obtaining a permission from the supervising doctor. The organic materials from the animals such as manure shall not be used before (90) days from the date of the release of the producing animal. Any perished animal or part of it shall not be taken out of the Quarantine without a permission from the supervising doctor and for the laboratory diagnosis purpose only. The milk and any animal product from the detained animals shall not be permitted to be taken out of the Quarantine and shall not be used for other purpose other than feeding the animals inside the Quarantine. ARTICLE (12.7): Individuals The working persons in the Quarantine and those who are taking care of the animals or birds in the quarantine shall wear protective clothes and shoes designated for the work inside the quarantine throughout their stay in the quarantine. These persons shall use disinfections or any health measure as may be decided by the supervising doctor. These persons shall maintain the cleanliness of themselves and their clothes throughout their working course. The reception staff shall not have right to enter the pens and areas where the animals are kept without obtaining a permission from the supervising doctor and shall comply with the items (a & b)) above. ARTICLE (12.8): Reports and Registration shall be registered. be registered. All persons who enter or depart the Quarantine All vehicles entering or leaving the quarantine shall All animals and birds which enter or depart the quarantine shall be registered. Any diseases, treatments or routine veterinary 17

actions shall be registered. The officer responsible of the quarantine shall submit monthly report to the competent veterinary authority about all registered activities and other related details. ARTICLE (13): Release Temporary release *. The supervising doctor at the inlet point may issue temporary release to the animals intended to be taken to the veterinary Quarantine to enable the transportation of these animals from the inlet point to the Quarantine.. The supervising doctor may issue temporary release to the animal products of which a sample has been taken for laboratory test and they shall be kept in the stores of the company under the supervision of the supervising doctor and the municipality until a final decision is taken with respect to its validity according to the laboratory report. Final release The supervising doctor shall issue a final release to the imported consignment of animals or birds or animal products or by products or consignments if they are proved to be safe and valid. ARTICLE (14): CHAPTER FOUR General Rules If any animals or animal products or by-products or consignments are imported without obtaining a veterinary health certificate from the competent veterinary authority, this authority shall have the right to prevent the consignment from entry and order its return directly to the country of origin on the account of the importer. ARTICLE (15) If live animals or birds consignment arrives from a country which is not infected with infections and contagious diseases according to (OIE) report and is not accompanied with the original health certificates and documents it shall be released temporarily and detained in the quarantine or in the custody of the owner for the period to be determined by the competent veterinary authority and under its supervision until its health safety has been confirmed. ARTICLE (16) 18

If a live animals or birds consignment arrives whereas no quarantine is available in the area the supervising doctor shall have the right to isolate these animals and birds in a separate place to prevent them mingling with other animals and such place shall be considered as a Quarantine subject to the rules of this regulations according to the decision of the supervising doctor. ARTICLE (17): If meat or animal products or by-products or consignees consignment arrives without the original health certificates and documents it shall be temporarily released after the inspection and necessary health measures to ensure its safety and validity from infectious and contagious diseases provided that it shall be stored under the supervision of the competent veterinary authority or the municipality. The owner shall undertake to provide the entire required original certificates and documents within one week from the date of arrival. If the owner fails to provide the required original certificates and documents the competent veterinary authority shall take the necessary action according to the public interest requirement with respect to the release of the consignment. ARTICLE (18) The competent veterinary authority shall have the right to carryout the necessary treatments and vaccinations to any imported animals or birds arriving to the Sultanate to secure the safety of the livestock in the country. ARTICLE (19) The competent veterinary authority shall have the right to detain any animal inside the Sultanate if it is infected by a disease or suspected of bearing one of the infectious and contagious diseases and apply the internal Quarantine measures accordingly. 19