Proposed changes to the Import Health Standard: Aquatic Animal Products

Consultation background

From 3 October to 24 October 2022, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) invited comments on proposed changes to the Import Health Standard: Aquatic Animal Products that was issued on 11 May 2022.

Summary of the proposed changes

1. Redefining the ocean areas for importing fish from Australia.
2. Government-endorsed manufacturer's declaration as an alternative option to health certification for aquatic animal products.
3. Exporter's declaration as an alternative to health certification for aquatic animal products from Australia.
4. Schedules 4 and 6 have updated fish species list.
5. Removal of health certification requirement for fish imported for further processing in New Zealand.
6. Bill of lading as acceptable document for freezing duration calculation.
7. Inclusion of a new section for composite products (products containing a mix of aquatic and non-aquatic animal ingredients).
8. Inclusion of a new section for importing marine annelid products.
9. Rephrasing some clauses for added clarity.

The guidance document has been updated to include 2 new model templates:

1. Model government-endorsed manufacturer's declaration.
2. Model exporter's declaration: aquatic animal products from Australia.

Consultation documents

Risk management proposal: Proposed amendments to the IHS: Aquatic Animal Products that was issued on 11 May 2022 [PDF, 340 KB]

Draft IHS: Aquatic Animal Products [PDF, 922 KB]

Draft guidance document: Aquatic animal products [PDF, 674 KB]

Related information – current IHS and guidance document

Import Health Standard: Aquatic Animal Products

Guidance document: Aquatic animal products [PDF, 501 KB]

World Trade Organisation Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards Notification - NZL 698 [PDF, 119 KB]

Steps to finalising the amended IHS

After consultation on a draft import health standard, MPI publishes a provisional IHS.

If you made a submission during the consultation, you have 10 working days to notify the Director-General of MPI that you intend to request an independent review. Reviews are limited to whether specific scientific evidence was given sufficient consideration.

If no review is requested within 10 working days, then the provisional IHS is confirmed and the final IHS is issued.

For more information about reviews, refer to Section 24 of the Biosecurity Act 1993 – NZ Legislation

Submissions are public information

Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.

People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.

Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation

Find out more

Steps to importing seafood