Provisional Translation
| OTO No. | 563 | Classification | MAFF-89 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of Acceptance | December 17, 1997 | Ministry/Agency Receiving Complaint | Economic Planning Agency |
| Responsible Ministries | Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | Related Laws | Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control Law |
| Complainant | Domestic firm | Exporting Countries | UK |
| Subject | Clarification of reasons for prohibiting import of English made artificial food for snakes | ||
| Details of Measures | When the firm wanted to import from England artificial food for snakes made of sheep intestines stuffed with meat of birds and rabbits, the firm has been requested by the animal quarantine office to abandon the import because of an outbreaks of bovine sponge form encephalopathy (mad cow disease) in England although there had been an inspection certificate (a guarantee of safety against bovine sponge form encephalopathy) issued by the U.K. government provided under the Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control Law. The complainant argues that under the present system, import of meat is approved under the Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control Law, cabinet orders concerning bovine sponge form encephalopathy, etc. if accompanied with an inspection certificate of the government of country of export, and that no notification, etc. have been issued that prohibit import of sheep meat, etc. made in England, hence no clear legal ground for restricting such import, therefore the import of said artificial food should be approved. An answer was given as follows. In the light of frequent cases of bovine sponge form encephalopathy in England, the government has been exercising administrative guidance to the effect that the feed and pet food made from England origin ruminants (cows, sheep, goats, etc.) would not be imported in order to securely prevent the entry of bovine sponge form encephalopathy into our country and to safeguard the feed, etc. from a different point of view from that of the Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control Law. However, as the ministry reviewed the potential danger of the snake food for which the complaint has been filed as above, it has been considered that snakes would not be infected with bovine sponge form encephalopathy through the said food, thus no fear of the disease spreading out to other animals. As a result, the said food has been removed from the coverage of the said guidance and can now be imported. |
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| Classification of Processing | A | Directions | IV |
| Remarks | |||