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Inspection and Certification of Quarantine Facilities and Operations

  • If possible, the quarantine area should be located within a single operational entity.
  • In the case the quarantine area is not a single entity, if possible, it should be structurally physically separated from all other operations and dedicated solely to the holding of introduced stock.
  • The quarantine area should not to be used for any other purpose than as a place for the performance of quarantine.
  • The quarantine area should be weatherproof and maintained in a state of good repair.
  • The holding capacity of the quarantine area should be commensurate with the proposed quantities of aquatic organisms to be quarantined (e.g., in terms of tanks, water availability, etc).
  • The quarantine area should be equipped with back-up systems for essential components (e.g. electricity, water circulation, aeration, filtration, etc.) to maintain biosecurity and the health of stocks in the case of electrical or mechanical failures.
  • If possible, a footbath containing disinfectant (e.g., chlorine, hypochlorite, formaldehyde, etc) should be placed at the entrance door to the quarantine area.
  • All holding tanks used for quarantine should be identified with permanent numbers so that individual tank records can be correlated with them.
  • All holding tanks used for quarantine should have its own set of equipment, such as nets, buckets, beakers, etc
  • All influent water entering into the quarantine area should be from an approved water source. If possible, this water source should be certified free from biological material, including any possible infective agents. Alternatively, the influent water can be filtered through sand filter + 100, 50, 25 and 10 micrometres filtration, before being used in the quarantine tanks.
  • If possible, all wastewater to be discharged from the quarantine area should be sterilized through chlorination (200ppm), heat treatment or filtration. The easiest disinfection treatment for wastewater is through filtration of effluent water (by using 5/1 micrometres + UV filters).
  • All containers (bags, boxes and cartons) used to hold aquatic animals during transit should be disinfected (e.g., chlorine, hypochlorite, formaldehyde).
  • Dead aquatic animals (during the quarantine period or during transportation) should only be disposed of as directed by the Biosecurity Authority. Aquatic animals that have died while under quarantine should be held in an approved freezer for further analysis by the Biosecurity Authority.
  • A standard Tank Record Sheet should be maintained for each quarantine tank.
  • Periodically throughout the day, the operator should observe all aquatic animals for signs of illness and abnormal behaviour.
  • Disposal of mortalities should be approved by national Biosecurity Authority and should be done through incineration.

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