WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
G/SPS/N/THA/114
17 September 2004
(04-3916)
Original:English
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES
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Member to Agreement notifying: THAILAND
If applicable, name of local government involved:
Agency responsible: Department of Fisheries (DOF)
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): Live
aquatic animals and their gametes designated for culture including Koi fish (color carp or fancy
carp) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio)
Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: All
countries
Title, language and number of pages of the notified document: The Requirements for
the Importation of Aquatic Animals and Their Gametes into Thailand for Culture (2 pages
available in Thai and 4 pages in English).
Description of content: As there were reports of herpesvirus infection in koi carp and common
carp, taura syndrome in marine shrimps and diseases in other aquatic animals in many countries.
Recently, koi herpesvirus (KHV) outbreaks in Indonesia and Japan caused severe damages to
common carp aquaculture in both countries. Scientific evidence indicated that koi carp were
also affected by KHV. Crustaceans and molluscs are also susceptible to many damaging
pathogenic infections. Movement of un-certified live aquatic animals and their gametes can
easily spread the disease. Therefore, the Department of Fisheries (DOF) has established a
strategy to control trans-boundary movement of aquatic animal diseases using quarantine
measures on imports as follows:
- Pre-importation: facilities of Thai aquatic animal farms or companies have to achieve the
quarantine standard of the DOF before receiving an import permit.
- Arrival of aquatic animals and their gametes at the port: the imported animals and their
gametes must be accompanied with Certificate of Origin and Health. The fish will be subjected
to quarantine at the certified quarantine areas of the importing farms or companies.
- Post-importation: aquatic animals will be quarantined for at least 15 days. Fish health
inspectors will examine the animals for diseases listed in the OIE, koi herpesvirus and other
contagious pathogens. If serious pathogens are found, the animals and their gametes will be
destroyed without compensation.
Certificate of Origin and Health shall certify as follows:
1) The aquatic animals in each shipment meet the following conditions:
- They come from a country, zone or farm establishment where veterinary authorities use health
measures described in the Diagnostic Manual for Aquatic Animal Diseases from Office
International des Epizooties (OIE) (If the test methods of any disease is not designated in most
recent edition of the Diagnostic Manual, test methods of the disease published in international
science journals shall be used. This must be stated in the certificate.)
2) This country, zone, or farm establishment is recognized officially unaffected by the following
diseases:
 for fish: epizootic haematopoietic necrosis, spring viraemia of carp, viral haemorrhagic
septicaemia, red sea bream iridovirus, viral encephalopathy and retinopathy, iridovirus (or
ranavirus), koi herpesvirus;
 for molluscs: bonamiosis (Bonamia ostreae, B. exitiosus.), haplosporidiosis (Haplosporidium
costale, H.nelsoni), marteiliosis (Marteilia refringens, M. sydneyi), microcell disease (Mikrocytos
mackini, M. roughleyi), perkinsosis (Perkinsus marinus, P. olsen/atlanticus);
 for crustacean: taura syndrome, white spot disease, yellowhead disease, infectious hypodermal
and haematopoietic necrosis;
 for amphibians: epizootic haematopoietic necrosis, ranavirus;
 for reptiles: iridovirus (or ranavirus), poxvirus.
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
Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action: This quarantine measure is
intended to protect the local aquatic animal industry from harm caused by highly contagious
diseases. The spring viraemia of carp virus and koi herpesvirus have been included in the
disease monitoring program in ornamental fish production farms and exporting farms. There is
still no report of either virus in Thailand. The DOF has also developed programs to control
diseases in shrimp and mollusc brooders and their seeds including quarantine measures to prevent
the trans-boundary disease transmission.
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International standard, guideline or recommendation:
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [ X ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE),
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention, [ ] None
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: Not available
Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable): 1 November 2004
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [ X ] National notification authority,
[ X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of
other body:
National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards (ACFS)
Division of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards Policy
3 Ratchadammern-Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200
Thailand
Tel: (662) 629 8970
Fax: (662) 629 8978
Website: www.acfs.go.th
E-mail: sps@acfs.go.th
Texts available from: [ X ] National notification authority, [ X ] National enquiry point,
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards (ACFS)
Division of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards Policy
3 Ratchadammern-Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200
Thailand
Tel: (662) 629 8970
Fax: (662) 629 8978
Website: www.acfs.go.th
E-mail: sps@acfs.go.th