Title
Guidelines on Bird Breeding Facility Accreditation
Law
Bai Administrative Order No. 20
Decision Date
Aug 12, 2011
The BAI Administrative Order No. 20 establishes comprehensive guidelines for the accreditation of breeding facilities for captive birds, ensuring compliance with Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures to safeguard animal health and facilitate trade.
accreditation
breeding facilities
captive birds

Policy, purpose, and SPS frame

  • The Order establishes that Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures protect animal or plant life or health within a Member territory from risks arising from the entry, establishment, or spread of pests, diseases, disease-carrying organisms, or disease-causing organisms.
  • The Order recognizes OIE as the relevant international organization developing animal health standards, guidelines, and recommendations affecting trade in live animals and animal products.
  • The Order provides a policy for the DA/BAI to encourage live captive bird breeding establishments to voluntarily submit to government accreditation and monitoring on SPS measures affecting animal health standards, procedures, and practices aligned with OIE recommended guidelines.
  • The Order states the aim to achieve a smooth flow in the marketing of export products and further develop competitive growth in domestic and international trade for the livestock industry.

Coverage and key definition

  • The Order applies to the accreditation of breeding establishments for live captive birds used for breeding and rearing.
  • For purposes of the Order, “Birds” refer to all kinds of birds excluding poultry.

Accreditation requirements and conditions

  • Accreditation requires compliance with legal, facilities, protocols, health status, documentation and record keeping, and veterinary services requirements.

Legal documents and accreditation approvals

  • A breeding establishment must submit legal documents required for operation, including at least:
    • a Wildlife Farm Permit; and
    • an Environmental Clearance Certificate from the UbNR; and
    • Accreditation by the BAI Animal Welfare Division.

Facilities and biosecurity requirements

  • A breeding establishment must provide:
    • clear demarcation and separation of the establishment from its surroundings;
    • suitable arrangements for disposal of bodies of birds that are euthanized or die of disease or any other cause, or are euthanized;
    • adequate means of catching, confining, and isolating birds;
    • adequate quarantine facilities; and
    • arrangements with a competent laboratory for post-mortem examinations or premises where examinations may be performed by a competent person under the supervision of the facility’s veterinarian.

Protocols requiring BAI approval

  • BAI must approve procedures covering:
    • traceability, breeding, and rearing of birds;
    • procedures for birds under quarantine;
    • disease surveillance, prevention, and control measures;
    • compliance with animal welfare regulations; and
    • such other measures as may be required by circumstances.

Health status requirements

  • A breeding establishment must maintain negative presence on the establishment of:
    • Avian Influenza (AI);
    • Newcastle Disease (ND);
    • Chlamydia psittacosis; or
    • any emerging notifiable disease.
  • A breeding establishment must have records establishing disease-free status through:
    • an assessment of animal health status records for the last three years before the date of application for approval or accreditation; and
    • inclusion of all clinical and laboratory tests conducted on birds to determine the disease-free status of the establishment.
  • A new establishment must conduct clinical and laboratory tests on birds and repeat testing whenever necessary.

Documentation and record keeping rules

  • The breeding establishment must maintain updated health records containing:
    • age, species, sex, and individual identification number of birds arriving or leaving, including origin/destination information, transport from or to the breeding establishment, and bird health status;
    • age, species, sex, and individual identification number of animals hatched and bred at the breeding establishment and bird health status;
    • results of blood tests and other diagnostic procedures;
    • cases of diseases and treatments;
    • results of post-mortem examinations on birds that died in the breeding establishment, including birds dead in the shell;
    • observations during any isolation or quarantine period; and
    • submission of monthly production.
  • After approval of accreditation, records must be kept for at least 10 years.

Veterinary services and duties

  • The breeding establishment must engage a licensed veterinarian, placed under the technical supervision of BAI.
  • The veterinarian must ensure, among others:
    • application of an Annual disease surveillance plan, including appropriate zoonoses control of the birds;
    • clinical, laboratory, and post-mortem testing of birds suspected of transmissible diseases;
    • vaccination of susceptible birds against infectious diseases as appropriate, in conformity with the OIE Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals.
  • The veterinarian must ensure that BAI is notified without delay of suspected deaths or any other symptoms suggesting birds contracted AI, ND, or Chlamydia psittacosis.
  • The veterinarian must ensure that birds entering the breeding establishment are isolated as necessary, and in accordance with Section 2 requirements and any BAI instructions.
  • The veterinarian must be responsible for compliance with day-to-day documentary requirements and animal welfare regulation during transport of birds.

Quarantine rules for movement of birds

  • Birds introduced from other approved establishments must be quarantined for at least thirty (30) days in an approved holding facility, following the following quarantine rules.

Quarantine facility requirements and approvals

  • Quarantine facilities must be:
    • isolated;
    • approved by BAI prior to introduction of birds to be quarantined;
    • restricted such that there is a dedicated personnel handling the quarantine operation, and the facilities are restricted from visitors and other unauthorized persons and/or vehicles;
    • free from stray animals in the quarantine facility;
    • provided with animal food and other veterinary supplies for maintenance during the quarantine period; and
    • operated under strict hygiene, sanitation, and biosecurity measures to prevent contamination of animal diseases.

Veterinary quarantine officer and assigned responsibilities

  • Upon every arrival of a new consignment of birds, the accredited breeding establishment must inform BAI.
  • BAI assigns an official veterinary quarantine officer to handle the quarantine operation.
  • The veterinary quarantine officer must:
    • ensure full compliance with quarantine protocols/measures;
    • observe implementation of the Memorandum of Agreement with the DENR on the movement of endangered species;
    • coordinate with the DENR–Protected Areas and Wild Life Bureau (DENR-PAWB) and keep records on wild captive bred birds, including:
      • identification of birds;
      • date introduced to the approved establishment;
      • source of birds;
      • necessary marking applied by other government agencies;
      • laboratory test done; and
      • production record;
    • conduct regular quarantine activities, including physical inspection, specimen collection, and supervision of quarantine facility personnel, when necessary; and
    • keep records during the quarantine period, and submit findings and recommendations to the BAI Director, with a copy of the report furnished to the owner.

Quarantine conditions for animals and testing

  • Newly introduced birds must be quarantined for at least thirty (30) days or more depending on animal health status.
  • Birds during quarantine must not be removed from the quarantine location without proper authorization from the assigned veterinary quarantine officer.
  • Only birds sourced from certified farms free from AI, ND, and Chlamydia psittacosis may enter the quarantine facility.
  • Each consignment must be isolated in an approved quarantine facility.
  • Quarantined birds must be visited at the beginning and end of each consignment; the veterinary quarantine officer conducts more frequent inspections if required by the disease situation.
  • Testing must be conducted by the competent authority to ensure freedom from AI, ND, and Chlamydia psittacosis using the following sampling sizes:
    • 10 birds or less: all birds tested
    • 11–49 birds: 15 birds tested
    • 50–229 birds: 20 birds tested
    • 300 and more: 30 birds tested
  • The veterinary quarantine officer may impose other quarantine measures depending on the animal health situation.

Continuous compliance monitoring

  • Breeding establishments must allow entry of BAI authorized veterinarians, subject to reasonable farm biosecurity measures.
  • BAI authorized veterinarians must be allowed to perform the following on an ongoing basis:
    • ensure conditions under the guidelines are met;
    • regularly visit premises at least twice per year or as often as necessary;
    • audit the farm veterinarian’s activities and the implementation of the annual disease surveillance plan, including prevention and control measures;
    • verify that clinical, post-mortem, and laboratory test results reveal no occurrence of AI, ND, or Chlamydia psittacosis;
    • keep a copy of the updated breeding establishment records; and
    • conduct import and export inspections of quarantine facilities together with assigned veterinary quarantine inspectors.

Accreditation fees, renewal, and payment

  • BAI charges fees for issuance and renewal of the Certificate of Accreditation.
  • The accreditation fee components are:
    • Application Fee: PHP 500.00, non-refundable, payable upon submission of the accomplished application form, and inclusive in the accreditation fee;
    • Accreditation Fee: PHP 10,000.00 per farm.
  • The Accreditation Fee is paid by the applicant upon issuance of the Certificate of Accreditation by BAI.
  • Accreditation renewal is done annually.

Administrative sanctions and disease response

  • Suspension and revocation of accreditation are governed by the following conditions:
    • If the competent authority finds the breeding establishment no longer complies with any conditions in Sections 1, 2, and 2 or if there is a change of use so that the facility is no longer used exclusively for breeding birds, the competent authority must revoke the accreditation.
    • If the competent authority receives notification of an outbreak of AI, ND, Chlamydia psittacosis, or any other emerging notifiable disease, the birds must be subjected to appropriate quarantine measures and movement is strictly prohibited until the outbreak is officially ruled out.
    • If the disease is under control, quarantine measures may be lifted only after compliance with:
      • eradication of the disease and the source of infection in the breeding establishment;
      • satisfactory cleaning and disinfection of the breeding establishment;
      • a farm down time of at least three (3) months; and
      • compliance with all requirements and conditions prescribed in the Order.

Effectivity mechanics

  • The Order becomes effective after:
    • publication in a newspaper of general circulation; and
    • filing three (3) copies with the National Administrative Register at the UP Law Center, Diliman, Quezon City; and
    • the fifteen (15) days waiting period counted from that publication and filing.

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