Aquatic Animal Health Code
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Aquatic Animal Health Code |
Zoning and compartmentalisation
Introduction
Given the difficulty of establishing and maintaining freedom from a particular disease for an entire country especially for diseases whose entry is difficult to control, there may be benefits to one or more Member Countries in establishing and maintaining a subpopulation with a distinct aquatic animal health status. Subpopulations may be separated by natural or artificial geographical barriers or, in certain situations, by the application of appropriate management practices.
Zoning and compartmentalisation are procedures implemented by a country under the provisions of this chapter to define subpopulations of distinct aquatic animal health status for the purpose of disease control or international trade. Compartmentalisation applies to a subpopulation when management practices related to biosecurity are the defining factors, while zoning applies when a subpopulation is defined on a geographical basis. In practice, spatial considerations and good management play important roles in the application of both concepts.
This chapter is to assist Member Countries wishing to establish and maintain different subpopulations, using the principles of compartmentalisation and zoning. These principles should be applied in accordance with the measures recommended in the relevant disease chapter(s). This chapter also outlines a process through which trading partners may recognise such subpopulations. This process is best implemented by trading partners through establishing parameters and gaining agreement on the necessary measures prior to outbreaks of disease.
Before trade in aquatic animals or aquatic animal products may occur, an importing country needs to be satisfied that its aquatic animal health status will be appropriately protected. In most cases, the import regulations developed will rely in part on judgements made about the effectiveness of sanitary procedures undertaken by the exporting country, both at its borders and within its territory.
In addition to contributing to the safety of international trade, zoning and compartmentalisation may assist disease control or eradication within Member Countries. Zoning may encourage the more efficient use of resources, and compartmentalisation may allow the functional separation of a subpopulation from other domestic or wild aquatic animals through biosecurity measures, which a zone (through geographical separation) would not achieve. Following an outbreak of disease, compartmentalisation may allow a Member Country be able to take advantage of epidemiological links among subpopulations or common practices relating to biosecurity, despite diverse geographical locations, to facilitate disease control and/or the resumption of trade.
Zoning and compartmentalisation may not be applicable to all diseases, but separate requirements will be developed for each disease for which the application of zoning or compartmentalisation is considered appropriate.
To regain the status of a free zone or free compartment following an outbreak of disease, Member Countries should follow the recommendations in the relevant disease chapter in the Aquatic Code.
General considerations
The Competent Authority of an exporting country that is establishing a zone or compartment for international trade purposes should clearly define the subpopulation in accordance with the recommendations in the relevant chapters in the Aquatic Code, including those on surveillance, and the identification and traceability of aquatic animals. The Competent Authority of an exporting country should be able to explain to the Competent Authority of an importing country the basis for its claim of a distinct aquatic animal health status for the zone or compartment in such terms.
The procedures used to establish and maintain the distinct aquatic animal health status of a zone or compartment should be appropriate to the particular circumstances and will depend on the epidemiology of the disease, environmental factors, risk of introduction and establishment of disease, and applicable biosecurity measures. The exporting country should be able to demonstrate, through detailed documentation supplied to the importing country, published through official channels, that it has implemented the recommendations in the Aquatic Code for establishing and maintaining such a zone or compartment.
An importing country should recognise the existence of this zone or compartment when the appropriate measures recommended in the Aquatic Code are applied, and the Competent Authority of the exporting country certifies that this is the case. Note that an importing country may adopt a higher level of protection where it is scientifically justified and the obligations referred to in Article 5.3.1. are met.
Where countries share a zone or compartment, the Competent Authority of each country should collaborate to define and fulfil their respective responsibilities.
The exporting country should conduct an assessment of the resources needed and available to establish and maintain a zone or compartment for international trade purposes. These include the human and financial resources and the technical capability of the Aquatic Animal Health Service (and of the relevant industry, in the case of a compartment) including diseasesurveillance and diagnosis.
Principles for defining a zone or compartment, including protection zones
In conjunction with the above considerations and the definitions of zone and compartment, the following principles should apply when Member Countries define a zone or compartment:
The extent of a zone should be established by the Aquatic Animal Health Service on the basis of the definition of zone and made public through official channels.
A protection zone may be established to preserve the health status of aquatic animals in a free country or free zone, from adjacent countries or zones of different aquatic animal health status. Measures should be implemented based on the epidemiology of the disease under consideration to prevent introduction of the pathogenic agent. These measures should include intensified movement control and surveillance and may include vaccination, raised awareness or other measures.
The application of these measures can be in the entire free zone or in a defined area within and/or outside the free zone.
The factors defining a compartment should be established by the Aquatic Animal Health Service on the basis of relevant criteria such as management and husbandry practices related to biosecurity, and made public through official channels.
Aquatic animals belonging to such subpopulations need to be recognisable as such through a clear epidemiological separation from other aquatic animals and all things presenting a diseaserisk.
For a zone or compartment, the Aquatic Animal Health Service should document in detail the measures taken to ensure the identification of the subpopulation, for example by means of registration of all the aquaculture establishments located in such a zone or compartment and the establishment and maintenance of its aquatic animal health status through a biosecurity plan. The measures used to establish and maintain the distinct aquatic animal health status of a zone or compartment should be appropriate to the particular circumstances and will depend on the epidemiology of the disease, environmental factors, the aquatic animal health status in adjacent areas, applicable biosecurity measures (including movement controls, use of natural and artificial boundaries, the spatial separation of aquatic animals, and commercial management and husbandry practices), and surveillance.
For a compartment, the biosecurity plan should describe the partnership between the relevant enterprise/industry and the Aquatic Animal Health Service, and their respective responsibilities, including the procedures for oversight of the operation of the compartment by the Aquatic Animal Health Service.
For a compartment, the biosecurity plan should also describe the routine operating procedures to provide clear evidence that the surveillance conducted and the management practices are adequate to meet the definition of the compartment. In addition to information on aquatic animal movements, the biosecurity plan should include production and stock records, feed sources, traceability, surveillance results, visitor logbook, morbidity and mortality history, medications, vaccinations, water supply and effluent treatments, documentation of training and any other criteria necessary for evaluation of risk mitigation. The information required may vary in accordance with the aquatic animal species and disease(s) under consideration. The biosecurity plan should also describe how the measures will be audited to ensure that the risks are regularly re-assessed and the measures adjusted accordingly.
Thus defined, the zones and compartments constitute the relevant subpopulations for the application of the recommendations in Sections 8 to 11.
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