Trade Facilitation Unit - Live Fish, Crustaceans, Molluscs, and Aquatic Invertebrates

The Bahamas currently has conditions to allow the importation of live fish, molluscs, crustaceans, amphibians, and other aquatic invertebrates from various countries. Having conducted an import risk analysis (IRA) that considers quarantine risks that may be associated with the importation to The Bahamas of live fish, molluscs, crustaceans, amphibians, and other aquatic invertebrates from any country, the IRA recommends that the importation of live fish, molluscs, crustaceans, amphibians, and other aquatic invertebrates to The Bahamas could be permitted subject to compliance with Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures to manage the quarantine risks of a range of significant diseases to a very low level, in line with WOAH guidelines. The IRA assessed all potential disease agents that may be introduced to The Bahamas via the importation of live fish, molluscs, crustaceans, amphibians, and other aquatic invertebrates and SPS measures. These diseases include Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, Perkinsus olseni, Xenohaliotis californiensis, Marteilia refringens, Perkinsus marinus, infectious salmon anaemia virus, Bonamia ostreae, Bonamia exitiosa, koi herpesvirus, abalone herpesvirus, tilapia lake virus, viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus, spring viraemia of carp virus, red sea bream iridovirus, infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus, salmonid alphavirus, Gyrodactylus salaris, Aphanomyces invadans (Epizootic ulcerative syndrome), Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease, epizootic haematopoietic necrosis virus, yellow head virus genotype 1, white spot syndrome virus, Taura syndrome virus, Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus (White tail disease), infectious myonecrosis virus, infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis virus, Hepatobacter penaei (Necrotising hepatopancreatitis), decapod iridescent virus 1, Aphanomyces astaci (Crayfish plague), Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, Ranavirus species,. Based on this risk assessment The Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority (BAHFSA) has adopted conditions of import for live fish, molluscs, crustaceans, amphibians, and other aquatic invertebrate consignments. They are outlined in WOAH’s Aquatic Animal Health Code Sections 8-11 and can be found at https://www.woah.org/en/what-w... . All consignments of live fish, molluscs, crustaceans, amphibians, and other aquatic invertebrates must conform to the relevant Sections of WOAH’s Aquatic Animal Health Code Sections 8-11.