3. Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control Law

(1) PURPOSE OF THE LAW AND SYSTEM

The objective of this law is to promote the livestock industry by preventing the outbreak and spread of infectious diseases in domestic animals.

(2) OUTLINE OF THE LAW AND SYSTEM

Measures are established for the prevention of infectious diseases in domestic animals in Japan and an import and export quarantine system has been established to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases in domestic animals arising from the international distribution of animals and animal products (Articles 36 to 46).

(3) CABINET ORDER AND MINISTRIAL ORDINANCES

Enforcement Order of the Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control Law
Enforcement Regulations of the Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control Law

(4) OUTLINE OF CONTROL

1) Items Covered
(a) Live cloven-hoofed animals, horses, chickens, quails, ostriches, turkeys, Anseriformes, dogs, rabbits, honeybees and remains of the aforementioned.
(b) Eggs of chickens, quails, orstriches, turkeys and Anseriformes
(c) Bones, meat, fat, blood, hides and skins, hair, feathers, horns, hooves, tendons, and viscera of animals under (a)
(d) Raw milk, semen, embryo, ovum, excrement, and urine under (a)
(e) Bone meal, meat meal, meat and bone meal, blood meal, skin meal, feather meal, horn meal and viscera meal of animals under (a)
(f) Sausage, ham, and bacon derived from (c)
(g) Straw (excluding those processed or adjusted) for feedstuff and forage delivered from or through the areas (including their islands) designated by Article 43 (upper section) of the Enforcement Regulations.
(h) Articles for which importation is prohibited, but approval for import has been obtained from the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for testing and research and other special circumstances (Proviso of Paragraph 1, Article 36).

2) Outline of quarantine systems
i. Content of control
The Animal Quarantine Officer of the Animal Quarantine Service inspects imported articles subject to quarantine (hereinafter referred to as "designated quarantine goods") to determine if prohibition from importing is necessary (Article 36), if an inspection certificate is attached (Article 37), and if they could spread causative agents of infectious disease in domestic animals (Article 40).

ii. Procedure for application
A person who imports designated quarantine goods must notify the Animal Quarantine Service immediately and bring those goods in the original state to be inspected by the Animal Quarantine Officer (Paragraph 1 of Article 40).

iii. Certification system
The Animal Quarantine Officer, after inspection, issues an Import Quarantine Certificate and puts a mark such as a brand or tattoo. on designated quarantine goods after determining that the designated quarantine goods are free from any causative agent that may spread infectious diseases affecting domestic animals (Article 44).

iv. Overview of Import Inspection
(a) An inspection certificate, issued by the competent government agency of the exporting country or a copy thereof, that confirms or authorizes upon its quarantine that designated quarantine goods are free from any causative agent of observed infectious diseases affecting domestic animals, shall be attached to all designated quarantine goods to be exported to Japan. (Paragraph 1 of Article 37)
However, this does not apply to a case where designated quarantine goods are imported from countries having no government agency related to animal quarantine., and where imformation to be filled in an inspection certificate is transmitted from the exporting country to a computer of the Animal Quarantine Service and is recorded in a file on the said computer (Paragraph 2 of Article 37).
Electronic transmission of information concerning an inspection certificate is being implemented between Australia and Japanese animal health authorities.
(b) Any importer who wishes to import goods designated by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (cloven-hoofed animals, horses, chickens, quails, ostriches, turkeys, Anseriformes and dogs) shall notify the Animal Quarantine service in advance (Paragraph 1 of Article 38.2 and Article 47.2 of Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control Law Enforcement Regulations).
(c) Upon submitting the application for import inspection to the Animal Quarantine service, an importer of designated quarantine goods shall submit the said goods for inspection to an Animal Quarantine Officer who shall determine if prohibition of import is necessary (Article 36), if an inspection certificate is attached (Article 37), and if those goods could spread causative agents of infectious disease in domestic animals (Article 40).
(d) Should the Animal Quarantine Officer determine that the goods inspected might spread causative agents of infectious diseases in domestic animals, the said goods shall be slaughtered, incinerated, disinfected, or otherwise treated as appropriate.
(e) Should the Animal Quarantine Officer determine that the inspected goods are unlikely to spread the causative agent of observed infectious diseases in domestic animals, an Import Quarantine Certificate will be issued and a certain mark will be put on those goods such as a brand or tattoo. (Article 44).

[Flowchart]

v. Testing Organizations
Presently, animal quarantine is being implemented for imported animals and animal products at the Animal Quarantine Services, headquarters of which is located in Yokohama, along with 6 branches located at Narita, Chubu, Kansai Internationl Airport and Kobe, Moji and Okinawa port, 17 local branches in other major air and sea ports, and 9 other offices.

(Note)Regarding the quarantine inspection system
Animal quarantine facilities are being expanded and new facilities are being built in response to the expanding trade of animal and animal products. The number of officers has increased considerably, and the business hours for the inspection of cargo at main ports is being extended. In the future, efforts will continue to be made to establish systems necessary for prompt and accurate animal quarantine inspections while firmly preventing the introduction of infectious disease in domestic animals.

vi. Animals and animal products of export Inspection
Export inspection shall be applied in the same manner of import inspection. Export inspection which the government of the importing country requires will be performed as well.

(5) HIGHLIGHTS OF THE RECENT AMENDMENT
The Enforcement Regulations were amended in September 2005 for prevention of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). Thus, ostriches and Anseriformes are classified as designated quarantine goods.

(6) REFERENCE INFORMATION
(Liaison Offices for Further Information)
Quarantine operations group, Office of International Health Affairs,
Animal Health Division, Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Tel: 81-3-3502-8295 http://www.maff.go.jp
Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Tel: 81-45-751-5921 http://www.maff-aqs.go.jp