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Animals > Imports > Policies / Procedures

Proposed Import Conditions for TSE in Small Ruminants

CFIA Proposed
September 2006

Introduction

The term small ruminants applies to sheep, goats and their exotic relatives. Following preliminary consultation with small ruminant industry associations, the following conditions have been prepared as a draft for use in a broader consultation process with both Canadians, via posting on the CFIA website, and with the international community (via a World Trade Organisation (WTO) notification. Once all comments have been received and evaluated, these conditions will be finalised and approved for use.

The conditions are meant to address all transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE's) known to affect small ruminants. The conditions are divided into two broad categories, commodities prohibited from entering Canada and those which are eligible for importation into Canada.

1. Commodities prohibited from importation into Canada

Ruminant derived meat-and-bone meal or greaves, or any commodities containing such products are specifically prohibited from importation into Canada unless a risk assessment has been undertaken and the country is classified, in accordance with the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) import policy as Category 1 (negligible BSE-risk).

An exemption from this prohibition may be considered on a case-by-case basis if the materials used in the production of ruminant derived meat-and-bone meal or greaves, or any commodities containing such products have undergone a treatment or process to eliminate the BSE-agent equivalent to that applied in Canada. Details of the treatment or process deemed to be equivalent together with supporting data and references as appropriate should be provided to CFIA for approval.

2. Commodities allowed importation into Canada

Animals for immediate slaughter (will be licensed to abattoir) must:

bear identification traceable to flock of origin;
be licensed to abattoir in Canada; and
be less than 12 months of age.

Animals for feeding for slaughter (will be under permit) must:

bear identification traceable to flock of origin; and
be slaughtered by 12 months of age; confirmation of slaughter must be submitted to CFIA within one week of the date of slaughter.

Live ovines imported for breeding purposes:

Males

must bear identification traceable to flock of origin

Females

must bear identification traceable to flock of origin; and
must be imported with certification that they originate from a country recognized by the CFIA as negligible risk for TSEs in small ruminants; or
must be imported with certification that they originate from a TSE free establishment.

An establishment may be considered eligible for recognition as a TSE free establishment if:

in the country or zone where the establishment is situated, the following conditions are fulfilled:
- the disease is compulsorily notifiable;
- affected sheep and goats are slaughtered and completely destroyed;
- the feeding to sheep and goats of meat-and-bone meal or greaves potentially contaminated with an animal TSE has been banned and effectively enforced in the whole country;
- national standards for recognition of scrapie free establishments have been developed or endorsed by the National Veterinary authority.
in the establishment the following conditions have been complied with for at least 5 years:
- sheep and goats should be permanently identified and records maintained, to enable trace back to their establishment of birth;
- records of movements of sheep and goats in and out of the establishment are established and maintained;
- introductions of females and embryos are allowed only from establishments of an equal or higher stage in the process of accreditation;
- sheep and goats of the establishment should have no direct or indirect contact with sheep or goats from establishments of a lower status;
- an Official Veterinarian inspects sheep and goats in the establishment and audits the records at least once a year;
- either: the establishment slaughters animals at a slaughter plant that is subject to routine selection of small ruminants for TSE testing as part of a national surveillance program or; all animals over 18 months of age that have died or have been killed for reasons other than routine slaughter on the establishment itself must be tested (including ‘fallen' stock and emergency slaughter).

Establishments in Canada that are actively participating in a scrapie flock certification program may import breeding females from flocks/herds which have complied with these conditions for less than 5 years by importing animals from flocks/herds that are of equivalent status in an equivalent scrapie flock certification program in the exporting country.

Live ovines/caprines for temporary stay

Sexually intact female animals that could not meet the import requirements for breeding animals must be certified by ultrasound examination not be pregnant for the time that they will be in Canada.

Male animals would have no conditions specific for TSEs.

Transhipment

No conditions specific to TSE unless the animals were known to be infected.

Embryos

Embryos (ovine/caprine) would have to be collected from donors eligible (could meet) import requirements for breeding animals and were collected in accordance with IETS standards.