Publication Abstract

Assessment of the safety of aquatic animal commodities for international trade: The OIE Aquatic Animal Health Code

B. Oidtmann*, C. Johnston, K. Klotins, G. Mylrea, P. T. Van, S. Cabot, P. Rosado Martin, L. Ababouch, and F. Berthe

World trade of fish and fishery products has increased dramatically over the last 2 decades. Trade in aquatic animal products, often called commodity trade, is a recognised risk for the spread of aquatic animal pathogens. Transboundary spread of aquatic animal diseases can lead to substantial production losses in aquaculture, loss of livelihoods, loss of important protein sources and substantial costs for disease control. Therefore, countries generally aim to maintain or achieve a high aquatic animal health status.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) is recognised as the reference organisation for measures relating to international trade in animals and animal products. In this role OIE has developed the Aquatic Animal Health Code, which provides health measures to be used by Competent Authorities of importing and exporting countries to avoid the transfer of agents pathogenic for animals or humans, while avoiding unjustified sanitary barriers.An ad hoc group was set up in 2008 on the recommendation of the OIE Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission. The group developed criteria for assessing the safety of aquatic animals or aquatic animal products for any purpose from a country, zone or compartment not declared free from a given disease “X”. The criteria were based on the absence of the pathogenic agent in the traded commodity or inactivation of the pathogenic agent by the commercial processing used to produce the commodity. The group also developed criteria to assess the safety of aquatic animals or aquatic animal products for retail trade for human consumption from potentially infected areas. Such commodities were assessed considering the form and presentation of the product, the expected volume of waste tissues generated by the consumer and the likely presence of viable pathogenic agent in the waste. The ad hoc group applied the criteria to commodities listed in the individual disease chapters of the Aquatic Animal Health Code. Revised lists of commodities for which no additional measures should be required by the Competent Authorities of the importing countries regardless of the status for disease X of the exporting country were developed and will be put forward for adoption at the World Assembly of Delegates in May 2011. The rationale of the criteria and their application will be explained and demonstrated using examples.