Alerts

The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (the department) has updated the list of countries approved for avian fluids and tissues for laboratory end use.

The approved country list is referenced on active permits and in BICON pathways. The list is used where import conditions require goods to be sourced from avians which resided in countries approved for avian fluids and tissues (as listed on the department’s website) at the time of collection.

If you are a permit holder, the department will contact you to notify you that your permit is affected by this change and explain what this means.

Who does this alert affect:
Importers of avian fluids and tissues for laboratory use and department staff.

Background:
The department has received notifications of outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the following countries:

• the Netherlands
• Japan
• Germany
• the United Kingdom (UK).

HPAI is not considered to be endemic in Australia.

The Director of Biosecurity is required to act on changes to disease status in order to manage Australia’s biosecurity risk to an appropriate level of protection (ALOP). Due to the recent change in avian disease and health status of these countries, the department considers them as approved for the sourcing of these materials for the following dates only:

• the Netherlands – samples collected up to and including 7 October 2020
• Japan – samples collected up to and including 14 October 2020
• Germany – samples collected between:
  - 11 August 2017 and 28 February 2020
  - 1 July 2020 and 14 October 2020
• the UK – samples collected up to and including 3 October 2020.

These changes are effective as of 10 November 2020 because of the high biosecurity risk posed by HPAI in avian fluids and tissues.

Further information:
Please contact the department on 1800 900 090 (prompt 1, prompt 1) or via email at imports@agriculture.gov.au.