6 September 2021
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This Biosecurity Advice notifies stakeholders of the proposal by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment to revise the import conditions for fish and fish products imported into Australia for use as pet food and stockfeed.
The department invites you to comment on the draft report by 1 November 2021.
The department initiated this assessment in response to stakeholder request for an alternative heat treatment for fish products for use as pet food and stockfeed imported into Australia. Import policies may be amended or reviewed if alternative risk management measures demonstrate an equivalent level of biosecurity protection or as new, peer-reviewed scientific information becomes available.
This draft report uses infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), as the most resistant of aquatic animal viruses to environmental conditions, as the minimum standard for aquatic viral inactivation. The department has undertaken this report to determine if IPNV is inactivated by the proposed heat treatment.
The draft report is available at Fish and fish products for use as pet food and stockfeed.The department proposes that the following changes are made to existing measures for fish products (salmonid and non-salmonid) imported for use as pet food and stockfeed:
- the current heat treatment of 100°C for no less than 30 minutes for fish products containing salmonid material, be reduced to a moist heat treatment of at least 85°C for at least 25 minutes, or at an equivalent time and temperature agreed by the department.
- the current heat treatment of 80°C for no less than 20 minutes for fish products containing non-salmonid material, be increased to a moist heat treatment of at least 85°C for at least 25 minutes, or at an equivalent time and temperature agreed by the department.
- the current restrictions on the percentage of salmonid material contained in the fish products (no more than 2%) will no longer apply.
The department invites comments on technical aspects of the proposed measures. The department is interested in your comments regarding these measures providing equivalent risk management outcomes when compared to the current measures.
The department will carefully consider all submissions before finalising the review of existing policy. A further Biosecurity Advice will be issued following the consultation period.
To receive information and updates on biosecurity risk analyses subscribe to Biosecurity Risk Analysis Animal. Subscribers will receive biosecurity advice notices and other notifications about animal biosecurity policy.
Dr Peter Finnin
Assistant Secretary
Animal Biosecurity Branch
Email aquaticbiosecurity@awe.gov.au