1. OIE Aquatic Animal Health Code and
Workshop for OIE National Focal Points for Aquatic Animals
Byblos, Lebanon
12 – 14 August 2013
Gillian Mylrea
OIE Aquatic Animal Health Code
and
Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals
- trade facilitating standards
Gillian Mylrea
Deputy Head
OIE International Trade Department,
Paris, France 1

2. Contents
The World Trade Organization SPS Agreement and role and responsibility of the OIE
The OIE Aquatic Animal Health Code
The OIE Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals

3. WTO SPS Agreement and role and responsibility of the OIE

4. General mandate of the OIE: Protecting animals, preserving our future
One of the OIE’s main objectives
‘to safeguard world trade by publishing health standards for international trade in animals and animal products’

5. the right to protect human, animal, plant life or health
WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures – (SPS Agreement)
Objective of the SPS Agreement?
Recognizes
the right to protect human, animal, plant life or health
Avoiding unnecessary barriers to trade
Entered into force with the establishment of the WTO on
1 January, 1995

6. SPS Agreement - Article 2.1
“Members have the right to take sanitary and phytosanitary measures necessary for the protection of human, animal or plant life or health, provided that such measures are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement”

7. International Standard-Setting Organizations
SPS Agreement Article 3
International Standard-Setting Organizations
(the ‘3 sisters’)
food safety
CODEX
plant health
IPPC
animal health/zoonoses
OIE
’Harmonisation - WTO Members shall base their SPS measures on international stds, where they exist’

8. SPS Agreement - Article 3.3
A country setting import health measures
has 2 options:
based on an OIE international standard; OR
Import Risk Analysis:
in the absence of a relevant standard; or
when a Member chooses to adopt a higher level of protection than that provided by the OIE standard. 8

9. Terrestrial Animal Health Code – mammals, birds and bees
OIE INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
Terrestrial Animal Health Code – mammals, birds and bees
Aquatic Animal Health Code -amphibians, crustaceans, fish and molluscs
Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals
Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals
Comments (with copyright) / Commentaires (soumis au Copyright) :
available on the
OIE Website

10. The OIE standards applicable to international trade in aquatic animals and aquatic animal products are in the:
Aquatic Animal Health Code and the Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals

11. Purpose of the Aquatic Code?
Recommends measures to be used by Veterinary Authorities or other Competent Authorities:
to establish health regulations for the safe importation of aquatic animals and their products
(to protect animal and human health)
while avoiding unjustified trade restrictions
Also includes:
recommendations for the prevention and control of aquatic animal diseases
welfare of farmed fish
(to improve aquatic animal health and welfare worldwide)

12. Critical aspects of the Aquatic Code and Manual
do not use them as textbooks on diseases
use them as international standards to evaluate and determine measures to use to protect aquatic animal health associated with trade of aquatic animals and their products
ensure that the application of the standards for national health measures are in accordance with obligations under the WTO SPS Agreement.

14. Information available in the Aquatic Code
Zoning & compartmentalisation
Guidelines for risk analysis
Quality of Aquatic Animal Health Services
Criteria for disease freedom
Conditions for trade
Model export certificates
Surveillance for disease
Disease reporting obligations
Transport of farmed fish
OIE listed diseases
Procedures for aquatic animal waste disposal
Responsible and prudent use of antimicrobial agents
Stunning and killing of farmed fish for human consumption 14

15. Aquatic Code – ‘Horizontal’ chapters
User’s guide
Glossary
Section 1 : Animal disease diagnosis, surveillance and notification
Notification of diseases and epidemiological information
Criteria for listing aquatic animal diseases
Diseases listed by the OIE
Aquatic animal health surveillance
Section 2 : Risk analysis
Import risk analysis * (revised version adopted May 2012)
Section 3 : Quality of Aquatic Animal Health Services
Quality of Aquatic Animal Health Services
Communication* (adopted May 2012)
Some of these chapters will be discussed in more detail in other presentations

16. ‘Horizontal’ chapters (cont…)
Section 4: General recommendations: disease prevention and control
Zoning/compartmentalisation
Application of compartmentalisation
Recommendations on disinfection
Contingency planning
Fallowing in aquaculture
Handling, disposal and treatment of aquatic animal waste* (adopted May 2010)
Section 5: Trade measures, import/export procedures and health certification
General obligations for certification
Certification procedures
OIE procedures releavant to the WTO SPS Agreement (adopted May 2013)
Criteria to assess safety of aquatic animal commodities* (adopted May 2010)
Safe transport
Measures applicable before, during transit, on arrival of commodities
Border posts
Model health certificates for international trade
Some of these chapters will be discussed in more detail in other presentations

17. Horizontal’ chapters (cont…)
Section 6: Veterinary Public Health
Control of hazards in aquatic animal feeds
Introduction to recommendations for controlling antimicrobial resistance
Principles for responsible and prudent use of antimicrobial agents in aquatic animals* (adopted May 2011)
Monitoring of the quantities and usage patterns of antimicrobial agents used in aquatic animals * (adopted May 2012)
Development and harmonisation of national antimicrobial resistance surveillance and monitoring programmes for aquatic animals * (adopted May 2012)
Section 7: Welfare of Farmed Fish
Transport
Stunning and killing for human consumption* (adopted May 2010)
Killing for disease control purposes* (adoption 2012)

18. Disease specific chapters
Section 8: Diseases of Amphibians
2 OIE-listed amphibian diseases
Section 9: Diseases of Crustaceans
8 OIE-listed crustacean diseases
Section 10: Diseases of Fish
9 OIE-listed fish diseases
Section 11: Diseases of Molluscs
7 OIE-listed mollusc diseases

19. Each specific disease chapter includes:
Recommendations to prevent the disease in question being introduced into the importing country:
definition of the pathogen / disease;
list of host species that are susceptible to the disease and are internationally traded;
list of ‘safe’ commodities (irrespective of disease status);
how to determine the free status of a country, zone or compartment
recommendations for importations of aquatic animal commodities from a country, zone or compartment declared free
taking into account the nature of the commodity (live or dead); intended purpose (e.g. aquaculture, aquatic animal feed)
recommendations for importations of aquatic animal commodities from a country, zone or compartment not declared free
(taking into account the nature of the commodity (live or dead); intended purpose (e.g. aquaculture, aquatic animal feed)

21. Use the Aquatic Code to:
provide guidance for the setting up and implementation of efficient aquatic animal health policies at national level
evaluate and determine measures to ensure safe trade of aquatic animals and their products
evaluate the Quality of the Aquatic Animal Health Services (the Competent Authority)
the ‘OIE PVS Tool: Aquatic’ enables a formal evaluation of an AAHS
to establish baseline arguments to establish equivalence for trade negotiations
to establish cost-effective risk mitigation measures for trade
use the Codes and Manuals to challenge scientific unjustifiable sanitary measures of trading partners.

22. Aquatic Code Glossary
Defines terms that are used in a specific manner in the Code
Examples
Disease means ‘clinical or non clinical infection with one or more aetiological agents’
Aquatic Animal Health Professional
Aquatic Animal Health Services
Competent Authority
Veterinary Authority
Certifying official
Compartment

23. Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals
provides information on diagnostic tests
provides a uniform approach to the detection of the diseases listed in the OIE Aquatic Code
ensures that the requirements for health certification in connection with disease prevention and control programmes, and trade in aquatic animals and their products can be met
includes some chapters on de-listed diseases and non-listed diseases

24. Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals
new/revised chapters are always adopted at the OIE General Session
7th edition (printed edition) was adopted in 2012 (all chapters updated except ISA)
7th edition (2012) is available in hard copy
new printed edition produced every 3 years
to manage the workload, a few chapters will be revised each year
chapters adopted at the General Session between printed editions are added to the web version,
thus, the on-line version is always the most recenthapters adopted between printed editions are added to the web version, thus the on-line English version is always the most recent

26. Conclusions
In the WTO SPS Agreement, the rules-based framework for international trade, the OIE is the reference standard setting organisation for animal diseases, including zoonoses
The application of OIE standards helps to facilitate safe trade by avoiding the imposition of unjustified trade barriers and, at the same time, preventing the spread of diseases globally
OIE Standards are a Country’s legal weapon for fair trade in aquatic animal health and welfare
Recommendations are the same for all countries, the internal coordination is each Country’s responsibility.
Note: If countries apply OIE standards their WTO obligations under the SPS Agreement are met.

27. Available on the OIE website
Codes and Manuals (free)
At the OIE online bookshop:
Risk Analysis Handbook (Vols I & II)
Guidelines to Aquatic Animal
Health Surveillance 27

28. OIE support to Members:
OIE provides information and guidance to help Member countries to meet their obligations, e.g.
Devising import health measures
measures/
Standard setting – the Codes
OIE_procedures_stand___recom_2011.pdf
Legal rights and obligations of OIE Members
obligations/
Importing countries should consider the exporting country’s sanitary status, as relevant to the
animals or animal products that are to be traded. Relevant data are contained in the WAHID
database, which is accessible on the OIE Web site 4. WAHID contains much useful information,
including in the six monthly reports describing the status of each country with regard to OIElisted
diseases and in other useful information provided by Members. It is useful for Members to
compare the sanitary situation between the importing country and the exporting country, based
on data in the most recent six monthly reports.
As established in the WTO SPS Agreement, an importing country has the right to choose its
appropriate level of protection for animal health, plant protection and food safety matters.
As stated in the Code, import conditions must take account of the animal health situation of
both the importing country and the exporting country, as relevant to the animals/animal products
to be traded.
The importing country should not impose measures in relation to diseases or pathogens that are
not listed by the OIE, unless the disease or pathogen has been identified as presenting a
significant risk on the basis of an import risk analysis conducted according to Section 2 of the
Terrestrial Code 5 (2009).
The importing country should not impose sanitary measures for diseases or pathogens that occur
in the importing country and are not the subject of official controls. Where official controls are
implemented, the measures applied to imported animals/animal products should not be more
restrictive than those applied nationally to similar animals/animal products under the official
control programme.
Importing countries should publish a list of their border posts for imported animals and animal
products. This helps to promote international trade since it provides information that helps
exporting countries to make arrangements for importation to take place effectively and
efficiently.

29. Thank you for your attention