Australia - Export requirements for fish and seafood

Information

Requirements are consistent with the 1993 Memorandum of Understanding between Canada and Australia. To request a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding, contact your local CFIA office.

Eligible/ineligible products

Eligible

  • Fish products
  • Non-salmonid fish oil
  • Prawn and prawn products of the following categories:
    • Uncooked highly processed prawnsFootnote 1 which have had the head and shell removed (the last shell segment and tail fans permitted)
    • Breaded, battered or crumbed prawns which have had the head and shell removed (the last shell segment and tail fans permitted) and are par-cooked
    • Cooked shrimp/prawns
  • Fresh, chilled or frozen salmonid products
    • thermally treated products
    • consumer ready products
    • products exported not in a consumer ready form
  • Eviscerated, de-headed and de-gilled non-salmonid finfish

Notes

  • Bivalve molluscan shellfish and raw products derived therefrom are not covered under the 1993 Memorandum of Understanding
  • Salmonid species in the following genera are approved for export to Australia:
    • Brachymystax spp.
    • Coregonus spp.
    • Hucho spp.
    • Oncorhynchus spp.
    • Parahucho spp.
    • Prosopium spp.
    • Salmo spp.
    • Salvelinus spp.
    • Salvethymus spp.
    • Stenodus spp.
    • Thymallus spp.
    • Plecoglossus spp.

Pre-export approvals by competent authority of importing country

Establishments

Establishments must be in compliance with Canadian regulations and be licensed under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) for the required activity(ies) and appear on the list of Canadian fish and seafood establishments approved for export. Contact your local CFIA office if your establishment is not on the list.

Import permit

  • A valid import permit issued by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry under the Biosecurity Act 2015, must accompany Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) documentation for certain consignments
  • Fish and seafood products and/or the ingredients being used to manufacture it must meet the animal health and the public health requirements as specified on the import permit
  • For more information on import permits issued by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, use the Biosecurity Import Conditions (BICON) database
  • A Permit to Import is required for smoked salmon and trout that are not canned
  • The processing establishment must provide details of the temperature at which the salmon or trout was smoked and the period of time that this temperature was maintained
  • For salmonid product being exported in a form that requires further processing in Australia, importers must nominate an approved arrangement establishment when they apply for an import permit from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
  • See Salmonids for more details

Product specifications

Maximum levels for chemical contaminants

Maximum levels for therapeutants and antibiotics

Microbiological requirements

Production controls and inspection requirements

  • Products may be exported if accompanied by Canadian certification; however, mandatory inspection may still be conducted in Australia

Non-salmonid fish oil

  • The non-salmonid fish oil must not be derived from terrestrial or avian animals

Prawns and prawn products

  • Uncooked highly processed prawns which have had the head and shell removed (the last shell segment and tail fans permitted)
    • The prawns must be frozen and have been processed, inspected and graded (if applicable in order to meet Australian standards) by the processing establishment
    • The prawns are free from visible signs of infectious diseases.
  • Breaded, battered or crumbed prawns which have had the head and shell removed (the last shell segment and tail fans permitted) and are par-cooked
  • Cooked prawns
    • The cooked prawns have achieved a core temperature of at least 65°C and appear fully cooked (the protein in the prawn meat has coagulated and no raw prawn meat remains)

Salmonids

  • The Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (former Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment – DAWE) has issued Biosecurity Advice 2018-26 – Biosecurity requirements for post-entry processing of salmonid products sourced from approved countries (excluding New Zealand)
  • Biosecurity Advice 2018 (BA 2018-26) outlines quarantine policies for fresh and frozen salmonids and heat treated salmonid products
  • Only product derived from salmonid species listed in Appendix 1 of BA 2018-26 may be exported to Australia (see Eligible products)
  • An exporting country must first be approved by the Department of Agriculture; the Canadian system is approved
  • For heat treated uncanned salmon, trout, or salmon roe (caviar), a CFIA inspector must verify the heat treatment every 6 months
  • Heat treated product process requirements are as follows:
    • for salmonid roe, the product was thoroughly washed to remove any extraneous material and heated at a minimum core temperature of 65°C for a minimum period of 30 minutes
    • for skin-on/skinless fillets of any weight, the product was heated to a minimum core temperature of 65°C for a minimum period of 30 minutes
    • for eviscerated, head-on rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss), the product has been treated at a minimum core temperature of 66°C for a minimum period of 40 minutes
  • The importer in Australia must obtain an import permit from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and will be granted permission to import based on the conditions specified on the permit
  • Different conditions for the importer may be specified on the permit based on whether the salmonid product (not heat treated) is in consumer ready form or exported for further processing
  • Canadian processors must meet the following requirements (in addition to the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations) for salmonid product (not heat treated) to be certified by a CFIA inspector:
    • product must be in, at least, a head off, gill out and gutted form
    • fish must be thoroughly washed (internally and externally), inspected and graded under the establishment's Preventive control plan (PCP)
    • product must be free from visible lesions associated with infectious disease and fit for human consumption
    • fish must not be juvenile salmonids or sexually mature adults/spawners
    • fish were not derived from a population slaughtered as an official disease control measure
    • product was harvested from an area where a fish health surveillance program is administered by either the CFIA or in a province where health protection is administered by a government-authorized agency
    • for Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout, the fish did not come from a farm infected by or officially suspected of being infected by the infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) or waters within 10 km or 1 tidal interchange (whichever is greater) of an infected farm or zone
  • Products that have not been heat treated require an inspection by a CFIA veterinary inspector
  • Exporters are advised that in order to be eligible for certification to Australia they must contact their CFIA Animal Health Office least 5 business days in advance of export to determine the requirements and accommodate the scheduling of an inspection by a CFIA inspector
  • For further information see Certification requirements for Australia

Consumer ready form

  • Australia's definition of consumer ready form salmonid product includes:
    • cutlets, including the central bone and external skin but excluding fins, each cutlet weighing no more than 450 grams
    • skin-on or skinless fillets, excluding the belly flap and all bone except the pin bones, of any weight
    • eviscerated, headless fish, each fish weighing no more than 450 grams
    • product that is processed further than described above
  • Salmonid products that meet the Australian definition of a consumer ready form and are packaged and clearly labeled in accordance with this definition will not be subject to the additional biosecurity conditions for product exported for further processing

Product for further processing

  • Starting September 1, 2019, salmonid product exported for further processing in Australia must remain under biosecurity control at an establishment that has entered into an approved arrangement with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
  • The salmonid product will be directed to these premises on arrival
  • Salmonid products subject to this requirement will only be released from biosecurity control after it has been transformed into a consumer ready form

Non-salmonid finfish

  • Must be eviscerated
  • Head and gills must be removed, with internal and external surfaces thoroughly washed
  • Product must be free from visible lesions associated with infectious diseaseExporters are advised that in order to be eligible for certification to Australia they must contact their CFIA Animal Health Office least 5 business days in advance of export to determine the requirements and accommodate the scheduling of an inspection by a CFIA inspector
  • For further information see Certification requirements for Australia

Labelling, marking and packaging requirements

  • Labels must be printed in English and contain information regarding content, weight, additives, manufacture, trademarks and country of origin
  • Exporters of salmonid products that are in a consumer ready form must assume full responsibility for ensuring their consignments meet Australia's consumer ready packaging and labeling conditions
  • Exporters are advised to work with their importer in advance of export and ensure that their consignments are appropriately labeled to meet the Australian requirements
  • For uncanned salmon, trout, salmon roe (caviar) for personal consumption, airport packs/consumer packs must have a label affixed to the product giving the name and address of the processor with the following statement: "This product has been heat-treated as per the Australian Quarantine Requirements"
  • Shipping containers must be sealed in a tamper evident manner
  • The transport container must be sealed with an official seal

Documentation requirements

Australia conducts antimicrobial residue testing on fish and crustaceans from aquaculture production. Health certificates that do not specifically identify products as "wild caught", "not from farmed or aquaculture sources", or similar in the product description maybe be subject to this testing. Exporters are encouraged to review and be familiar with Australia's Imported Food Inspection Scheme requirements.

Certificate

  • For non-salmonid fish oil:
    • Certificate of Origin and Hygiene (CFIA/ACIA 5003), with the following statement added:

       

      "The goods were not derived from terrestrial or avian animals"

      In the Marks section, provide an unique consignment specific link. Examples of consignment identification include:

      • container numbers
      • bill numbers
      • commercial invoice numbers
      • lot codes
      • preferential tariff certificate numbers
      • packing list numbers
      • letter of credit numbers

      Other forms of consignment identification may be acceptable; see BICON – Case Documentation Requirement for more information

  • For prawn and prawn products of the following categories:
    • Uncooked highly processed prawnsFootnote 1 which have had the head and shell removed (the last shell segment and tail fans permitted).
    • Breaded, battered or crumbed prawns which have had the head and shell removed (the last shell segment and tail fans permitted) and are par-cooked
    • Cooked shrimp/prawns
      • Health Certificate for Export of Prawns and Prawn Meat for Human Consumption from Canada to Australia (CFIA/ACIA FA1019)

        This certificate is a Joint Certificate containing both Food Safety/Public Health AND Aquatic Animal Health attestations. Consult your CFIA inspector for any further instructions at the time of the certificate request submission.

        This certificate is used for 3 prawn and prawn product categories and different attestations apply depending on product category. Any attestations which are not applicable will need to be crossed out by the CFIA inspector.

        When the exporter completes the certificate request form and the certificate template, the prawn product category type must be clearly identified to the inspector.

  • For fresh, chilled and frozen salmonid products (not including heat treated products):
    • Aquatic Animal Health and Sanitary Certificate for the Export of Fresh, Chilled or Frozen Salmonid Products for Human Consumption from Canada to Australia (AQAH-1063)

      This certificate is a Joint Certificate containing both Food Safety/Public Health AND Aquatic Animal Health attestations. Consult your CFIA inspector for any further instructions at the time of the certificate request submission.

  • For heat treated salmonid products:
    • Aquatic Animal health and Sanitary Certificate for the Export of Thermally Treated Salmonid Products for Human Consumption from Canada to Australia (AQAH-1098)

      This certificate is a Joint Certificate containing both Food Safety/Public Health AND Aquatic Animal Health attestations. Consult your CFIA inspector for any further instructions at the time of the certificate request submission.

  • For eviscerated, head-off, and de-gilled non-salmonid finfish:
    • Aquatic Animal Health and Sanitary Certificate for the Export of Head Off and Eviscerated Non-Salmonid Finfish Products (including all high-risk species) for human consumption from Canada to Australia (AQAH-1099)

      This certificate is a Joint Certificate containing both Food Safety/Public Health AND Aquatic Animal Health attestations. Consult your CFIA inspector for any further instructions at the time of the certificate request submission.

  • For all other fish products:
    • Certificate of Origin and Hygiene (CFIA/ACIA 5003)

      Note: Bivalve molluscan shellfish and raw products derived therefrom are not covered under the Memorandum of Understanding.

Other information

Further information on import requirements can be obtained from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and the Australian government's Biosecurity Import Conditions (BICON) database.

Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
18 Marcus Clarke St, GPO Box 858
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia

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