WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/FJI/2
10 September 2001
(01-4239)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  Animal Health and Production Division, Ministry of Agriculture,
Fisheries, Forests and ALTA
3.Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where
applicable).  01.05 Live poultry that is to say, fowls of the species Gallus domesticus,
ducks, geese, turkeys and guinea fowl:
- weighing nor more than 185g:- 0105.11.00 Fowls of the species Gallus domesticus
- 0105.12.00 Turkeys
- 0105.19.00 Other
- 0105.99.00 Other
Other:
- 0105.92.00 Fowls of the species Gallus domesticus , weighing more than 2000 grams
- 0105.99 00 Other
- 02.07 Meat and edible offal of the poultry of the heading No. 01.05 fresh, chilled or frozen :
- of fowls of the species Gallus domesticus  :
- 0207.11.00 Not cut in pieces, fresh or chilled;
- 0207.12.00 Not cut in pieces, frozen;
- 0207.13.00 Cuts and offal, fresh or chilled;
- 0207.14.00 Cuts and offal, frozen;
of turkeys:
- 0207.24.00 Not cut in pieces, fresh or chilled
- 00207.25.00 Not cut in pieces, frozen
- 0207.26.00 Cuts and offals, fresh or chilled- 0207.27.00 Cuts and offals, froze
of ducks, geese or guinea fowls:
- 0207.32.00 Not cut in pieces, fresh or chilled
- 0207.33.00 Not cut in pieces, frozen
- 0207.34.00 Fatty livers, fresh or chilled- 0207.35.00 Other, fresh or chilled
- 0207.36.00 Other, frozenG/SPS/N/FJI/2
Page 2
- 0407.00.00
- 0407       Birds’ eggs, in shell, fresh, preserved or cooked
- 04.08 Birds’ eggs, not in shell and egg yolks, fresh, dried, cooked by steaming or
by boiling in water, moulded, frozen or otherwise preserved, whether or not
containing added sugar or other sweetening matter:
Egg Yolks :
- 0408.11.00 Dried
- 0408.19.00 Other
Other
- 0408.91.00 Dried
- 0408.99.00 Other
Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:
 Australia, New Zealand, Un ited States of America
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Sanitary/Phytosanitary (SPS)
Conditions for the Importation of Uncooked Poultry Meat into Fiji
5. Description of content:  Poultry and poultry products with quarantine requirements for
their importation
6. Objective and rationale: [  X ] food safety,  [  X ] animal health,  [     ] plant protection,
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease,
[ X ] protect territory from other damage from pests           
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [     ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:   OIE Animal Health Code, chapter 2.1.15
Newcastle Disease – Article 2.1.15.2, Article 2.1.15.3, Article 2.1.15.4, and other pertinent
Articles of Chapter 2.1.15 of the OIE Animal Health Code.
It has been concluded by the Veterinary Administration of Fiji that in the Newcastle
Disease outbreak experience of certain countries in 1998, 1999 and 2000 that the lentogenic or
non-pathogenic strains of the Newcastle Disease Virus can mutate to become pathogenic
(Harvey Westbury, 2000). These strain s previously had ICPI of <0.2.
Vaccinal strains of Newcastle Disease viruses have ICPI equivalent to or >0.4 .
The latest Newcastle Disease Survey of Fiji’s Commercial Poultry Sector (Angus
S., 2001) indicates that Fiji has no Newcastle Disease virus particles  of any form at all, be it
lentogenic, vaccinal, mesogenic, or Velogenic in nature.
Fiji’s traditional trading partners have the following forms of Newcastle Disease:
New Zealand: Lentogenic forms onlyAustralia: Lentogenic, Vaccinal, Mesoge nic, Velogenic(occasional outbreaks) 
FormsG/SPS/N/FJI/2
Page 3
USA: Lentogenic, Vaccinal, Mesogenic,  Velogenic(occasional outbreaks) 
Forms
• This means Fiji has a commercial poultry sector that is totally naïve to
Newcastle Disease, with not a single an tibody in its system to protect itself
from any form of the disease.  Even the Lentogenic form found in many
other countries of the world could be pathogenic to the naïve Fiji population.
• Fiji has just developed a commercial  poultry industry compared to other
countries of the world, a local food security capability, a poverty alleviation
and rural development compact with the rural poor, and a budding poultry
export capacity.
• To safeguard Fiji’s poultry population from Newcastle Disease the
Veterinary Administration has deci ded to only allow importation from
countries that have Newcastle Disease vi rus with ICPI equivalent to or less
than 0.2.
The attached Importation Requirements fo r the importation of poultry and poultry
products into Fiji is therefore proffered for perusal, comments, suggestions, recommendations,
and objections from members of WTO.
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Stephen D. Angus
(2001) "A Survey to Determine the Status of the Fiji Islands Concerning Newcastle
Disease" Secretariat of the Pacific Community (available in English)
9. Proposed date of adoption:  10 October 2001.
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  10 October 2001.
11. Final date for comments:  10 October 2001. In accordance with the WTO requirement of a
60 day notification, note that the main trading partners, Australia, New Zealand and the
USA, were informed in writing on 4 June 2001, 5 June 2001 and 26 June 2001,
respectively.Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [  X ] National notification
authority, [  X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:
Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs & External Trade
PO Box 2220
Government Buildings Suva
FijiFax:  679 301 741G/SPS/N/FJI/2
Page 4
12. Texts available from: [  X ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs & External Trade
PO Box 2220Government Buildings Suva
Fiji
Fax:  679 301 741