It is the exporter's responsibility to ensure that the animal meets the importing country requirements. Additional information to assist exporters with how to prepare reproductive material for export is available on the Department’s website.

Information about the process required to import reproductive material into New Zealand can be found on the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries website. A guidance document is provided for importing cattle semen and embryos.

Note

Where an importing country issues an import permit, the exporter must ensure the animal meets any requirements in the permit.

Health Certification

As importing country health requirements may change without advice to the Department you should check the import permit and/or the country’s website carefully at the time of preparation for export.

Health Certificate

I, Dr ………………………………, a duly authorised government veterinary officer, hereby certify that:

1. Animal Health Declaration
   
   
   1. 1.1 Australia is free from bovine brucellosis (B. abortus and B. melitensis), bovine herpes virus 1.1 and 1.2a, bovine viral diarrhoea virus 2, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, foot-and-mouth disease (without vaccination), lumpy skin disease, Rift Valley fever and bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis).
      
      
2. Semen Collection and Processing Centre
   
   
   1. 2.1 At the time of collection of this consignment for New Zealand, the semen collection centre was:
      

      • approved and supervised by the Department of Agriculture for export.

      • subjected to regular audit at intervals of no more than 12 months, by an Official Veterinarian.
      • under the supervision of a semen collection centre veterinarian designated for this purpose by the Department of Agriculture.
      
      
   2. 2.2 When donors were transferred from one approved semen collection centre to another of equal health status without isolation or testing, the following conditions were applied:
      
      
      • donors were examined, by the approved semen collection centre veterinarian, on the day of entry into the centre and showed no evidence of infectious disease transmissible in semen.
      • transfer was direct.
      • donors did not come into direct or indirect contact with animals of a lower health status.
      • the means of transport used was disinfected before use.
        
      
      
3. Donor males
   
   
   1. 3.1 Were born and raised in Australia (or New Zealand).
      
   2. 3.2 Before entry into semen collection centre (SCC) the donor animals were held in pre-entry isolation, isolated from animals not of equivalent tested health status and were not used for natural mating.
      
   3. 3.3 The donors were examined regularly by the SCC veterinarian and there was no evidence of clinical signs of OIE listed diseases transmissible by semen throughout their residence.
      
   4. 3.4 The approved semen collection centre veterinarian ensured that, on the day(s) of collection of the semen, the health status of each donor was monitored and recorded, and the donor did not show any clinical evidence of infectious diseases transmissible in semen.
      
   
   
4. Laboratory testing
   
   
   1. 4.1 All testing was performed in a National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accredited laboratory (if applicable).
      
   2. 4.2 All laboratory samples required by this veterinary certificate have been collected, processed, and stored in accordance with the OIE’s recommendations or as described in Approved Diagnostic Tests, Vaccines, Treatments and Post-Arrival Testing Laboratories for Animal Import Health Standards, MPI-STD-TVTL, found here https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/2040/
      
   3. 4.3 All diagnostic test(s) that are required have been approved by MPI for that purpose, administered according to manufacturer’s instruction and documented in MPI-STD-TVTL.
      
   
   
5. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR IDENTIFIED RISK ORGANISMS
   
   
   1. 5.1 Bovine Herpes Virus 5 (BHV5)
      1. 5.1.1 The semen donor’s centres of residence have had no cases of BHV 5 (suspected or diagnosed) in the year prior to semen collection for export to New Zealand.
         
         
   2. 5.2 Bovine Leukaemia Virus (Enzootic Bovine Leukosis, EBL)
      
      
      1. For dairy cattle: 
      2. 
         
      3. (*Delete non applicable)
         5.2.1 The semen donor was resident at the time of semen collection in a herd certified as free from EBL; AND
         
      4. 5.2.2 if less than two years of age, the bull came from a serologically negative ‘uterine’ dam; OR*
         
      5. 5.2.3 was subjected to diagnostic tests (AGID or ELISA) for EBL on blood samples on 2 occasions with negative results, the first being carried out at least 30 days before and the second test at least 90 days after the collection of the semen; OR*
         
      6. 5.2.4 an aliquot of not less than 0.5ml of processed semen from the final collection of each donor for this consignment was tested by a virus isolation test or a PCR test with negative results; OR*
         
      7. 5.2.5 if an aliquot of not less than 0.5ml of processed semen from the final collection of each donor for this consignment tested positive on PCR it was then subjected to testing by virus isolation with negative results.
         
         
      8. For beef cattle:
         
         5.2.6 The semen donor must be subjected to a test listed in MPI-STD-TVTL for EBL on two occasions with negative results, the first test being carried out within the 6 months before collection and the second test at least 21 days after collection of the semen; AND
         
         
      9. 5.2.7 Separation of export bulls and domestic bulls from the time of test sampling before pre-entry isolation to the start of pre-entry isolation; AND
         
         
      10. 5.2.8 Physical examination by the centre veterinarian of all bulls and mount animal donors (in contact with the donor for New Zealand) to determine that they do not display any clinical symptoms of any infectious disease at the start of pre-entry isolation.
          
          
   3. 5.3 Brucella suis
      
      
      1. 5.3.1 There have been no feral pigs observed on the grounds of the collection centre while the donor has been in residence; AND
      2. 5.3.2 If Brucella spp. infection was suspected at any property where the donor has lived, B. suis was investigated as the cause.
         
         
   4. 5.4 Campylobacter fetus subspecies venerealis (Cfv) (bovine genital campylobacteriosis, BGC)
      
      
      1. (*Delete non applicable)
         5.4.1 The collection centre had a programme aligned with the OIE Code, to prevent Cfv infected animals from entering the collection herd, and there had been no case of bovine genital campylobacteriosis reported in the centre 1 year prior to collection; OR*
      2. 5.4.2 The donor has had at least one culture of semen or preputial specimens in the last 6 months, and all cultures conducted in the last 6 months have been negative.
         
         
   5. 5.5 Coxiella burnetii (Q-fever)
      
      
      1. (*Delete non applicable)
         5.5.1 The donor has never been confirmed positive for Q fever; AND EITHER:
      2. 5.5.2 Donors were subjected to a serological test listed in MPI-STD-TVTL for Q fever, on a sample collected between 21 and 120 days after each germplasm collection for export to New Zealand, with negative results; OR*
      3. 5.5.3 An aliquot of semen from each germplasm collection for export to New Zealand was tested for Q fever with a test listed in MPI-STD-TVTL, with negative results; OR*
      4. 5.5.4 Within the 6 month period before or after germplasm collection for New Zealand, but before export, the semen collection centre herd was tested for Q fever, using a test listed in MPI-STD-TVTL, with negative results. The Q fever test must be:
         1. performed on either the whole herd or a random sample of at least 60 animals (whichever is the lesser number); AND
         2. the herd was isolated for the period between semen collection and diagnostic sampling.
            
         
         
   6. 5.6 Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjoprajitno (leptospirosis)
      
      
      1. 5.6.1 Antibiotics have been added in accordance with the OIE Code.
         
         
   7. 5.7 Mycoplasma bovis
      
      
      1. (*Delete non applicable)
         5.7.1 Collection and processing of semen was in accordance with the recommendations of the OIE Code, with the modifications indicated in MPI-STD-TVTL; OR*
      2. 5.7.2 The semen donor was subjected to a test for M. bovis listed in MPI-STD-TVTL, with negative results; OR*
      3. 5.7.3 Each semen collection for export to New Zealand was tested with a validated test for M. bovis in accordance with MPI-STD-TVTL, with negative results.
      
      
6. Storage and transport
   
   
   1. (*Delete non applicable)
      6.1 The transport container in which the germplasm is to be transported to New Zealand is new* or disinfected* and is free of contamination. The disinfectant used, its active chemical and date of disinfection is recorded in Attachment 1 of this zoosanitary certificate.
      
      
   2. 6.2 All transport containers in which germplasm is transported to New Zealand have been sealed, by either the semen collection centre/herd veterinarian or an Official Veterinarian, using tamper-evident seals that are positioned to ensure that no germplasm can be added after the transport container has been sealed.
      
      
   3. *Where the germplasm is transferred from one transport container to another:
      1. Date of transfer ____________________________________________________________________________
         
      2. Name of approved collection centre/herd _________________________________________________
         
      3. Reason for transfer ________________________________________________________________________
         
      4. Name of veterinarian involved in the transfer ______________________________________________
         
      
      
   4. 6.3 Semen collection, processing and storage complied with the sections relevant for bovine semen in the Code chapter Collection and Processing of Bovine, Small Ruminant, and Porcine Semen, unless stated otherwise in this veterinary certificate.
      
      
   5. 6.4 Where testing must be within a certain time period before or after semen collection:
      1. Semen collection may be a time period of up to 60 consecutive days. Where collection for New Zealand lasts for longer than 60 days, additional tests will be required, and the certificate should stipulate the collection period dates.
      2. Test samples must have been collected within the specified period before the first day of the semen collection where testing is required before semen collection.
      3. Test samples must have been collected within the specified period after the last day of the semen collection period where testing is required after semen collection.
      
      
   6. 6.5 The cryogenic or cooling agent used in the freezing process, storage and transport has not been used previously in association with any other product of animal origin.
      
      
   7. 6.6 All straws have been sealed, and clearly and permanently marked to identify the donor and the date(s) of freezing. The markings conform to international standards of the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR). *If a code is used for this information, its decipher instructions must accompany the consignment.
      
      
   8. 6.7 The semen has only been stored and transported with germplasm that has been collected and processed in accordance with the OIE Code.
      
      
   9. 6.8 The semen has been held in a storage place approved by the Competent Authority of the exporting country until the time of export.
      

Attachment

Bovine Semen (frozen) from Australia to New Zealand

Centre veterinarian declaration

A declaration by the centre veterinarian is required for this export.

This template (DOCX 49 KB | PDF 303​ KB) provides the format for the Centre Veterinarian Declaration (CVD) for the export of bovine semen to New Zealand.

Based on importing country website and information.

Protocol agreed 23 September ​2022.

Entry last reviewed 13 October 2023​.