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CFIA Enhances Import Measures Respecting Live Birds and Avian Influenza

The CFIA is enhancing its control measures on imports of live birds from all countries eligible to export birds to Canada to further limit opportunities for the importation Avian influenza (AI) to Canada.

These measures apply to countries which are recognized as being free of highly pathogenic AI in their domestic flocks. Canada continues to prohibit trade in poultry, poultry products and birds with any country which is not recognized as free of highly pathogenic AI in its domestic flock.

Canada’s new import measures are consistent with guidelines established by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) as the foundation for safe trade while protecting animal and human health. The measures were developed in consultation with provincial governments, the Canadian poultry industry and Canada’s principal poultry and bird trading partners, the United States and the European Union.

The new measures will be applied to imports of live poultry and other commercial birds, such as parrots, pigeons and songbirds, day old chicks and hatching eggs.

The key measures for live poultry include:

• Pre-shipment inspection of live poultry by a certified veterinarian within 24 hours of shipping;
• Confirmation that birds were kept in a country, zone or compartment free of highly pathogenic avian influenza since they were hatched or for 21 days prior to shipment;
• Vaccinated birds are not eligible for import into Canada; and
• The country has an official surveillance plan for Notifiable Avian Influenza (NAI) in place that has been carried out in the establishment within the past 21 days, or a representative sample of the shipment was subjected to a diagnostic test within the 21days prior to shipment to demonstrate freedom from infection with NAI.

Similar measures to those being implemented for poultry will be put in place for other commercial birds, day-old chicks and hatching eggs. Import controls on personally-owned pet birds accompanying their owners to Canada will not change.

Canada generally requires a 30-day quarantine of imported animals upon their arrival in Canada. The enhanced import measures will require that representative samples (60 birds) from all live-bird shipments to Canada be tested in Canada for notifiable avian influenza 21 days after entering the approved quarantine location. Negative results must be available prior to the release of the birds.

The processing of import applications reflecting the new measures will began on April 24, 2006.

Additional information on the enhanced import measures can be found at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/policy/ie-2006-2e.shtml

Regionalization of France

In conjunction with the new import measures, Canada has reduced the zone of restrictions on imports of poultry, poultry products and birds from France based on confirmation from the European Union that it has accepted protection measures against highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) put in place by France. Canada announced on March 1, 2006 that it had suspended imports of poultry and birds from France following confirmation of an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza on a turkey farm in the Département (district) of Ain. French poultry, poultry products and birds are now eligible for import to Canada with the exception of those areas which remain under official restriction by the Government of France.