The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has published new plant health requirements to prevent the import and spread of plant pests in Canada and to clarify its import and domestic movement requirements under the Plant Protection Act.
Effective October 18, 2015, two new policy directives will apply:
D-12-02: Import Requirements for Potentially Injurious Organisms (Other than Plants) to Prevent the Importation of Plant Pests in Canada
D-12-03: Domestic Requirements for Potentially Injurious Organisms (Other than Plants) to Prevent the Spread of Plant Pests Within Canada.
The new policies aim to prevent the import and spread of plant pests into Canada and streamline the import permit application process. Some organisms, such as snails, insects and bacteria, may be harmful to plant health if not carefully handled. These new policy requirements provide clear guidelines for importing and handling potentially harmful organisms in Canada and allow stakeholders to move them within Canada, providing greater access to organisms for scientific, educational and exhibition purposes.
More details are available on CFIA’s website.