Animal Health Act 1995.

This Act, consisting of 108 sections divided into ten Parts and completed by four Schedules, provides for the prevention and control of animal diseases. Under the Act "animal means any mammal (other than man), bird, insect, amphibian, fish, reptile, arthropod, crustacean, mollusc or other member of the animal kingdom, whether alive or dead, and includes — (a) the egg, embryo, ova, or sperm of an animal; and (b) any animal product or other thing from which another animal could be produced; " animal product means (a) the hide, skin, hair, wool, feather, shell, horn, fin or hoof of an animal; or (b) any part of the viscera of an animal; or (c) any bone or blood of an animal or any article or substance derived from the bone or blood of an animal; or (d) any article or substance derived from an animal whether or not in combination with any other article or substance. Part 2 makes provision for administration of animal health. The Secretary may appoint, by written instrument, a veterinary surgeon employed in the Department to be Chief Veterinary.
Part 3 concerns the declaration of quarantine areas and other matters relating to quarantine of animals. Provisions of Part 4 regulate importation of animals, restricted materials and infected animal materials and importation of animal materials generally. Part 5 introduces a duty of notification of existence of "List A" and "List B" diseases (defined in Part 1). Part 6 provides for various measures to control animal diseases including the declaration of infected places and restricted areas. Part 7 regulates artificial breeding. Part 8 outlines responsibilities and powers of inspectors. Remaining provisions of this Act concern compensation for destroyed animals, regulation making powers of the Governor and offences.
In regard to contamination at farm level the Act gives power to the Inspector to excercise his or her functions to minimize contamination of animal, animal material, conveyance, premises, soil or water when no action is being taken in respect of the contamination under the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Control of Use) Act 1995; the inspector may perform and exercise his or her functions and powers as if the contamination were a disease. Powers of Inspector are broad and include to stop or detain a conveyance, to enter and remain in any conveyance or place other than a residence, to search any conveyance or place lawfully entered, to open or break open and search any box, container, package or other receptacle in or on any conveyance or place lawfully entered, among others.
The importation of restricted materials and infected animal materials (including animal products) is prohibited but the Act also authorizes the Chief Veterinary Officer to issue a general authority in respect of their importation; the conditions that the general authority may require are: (a) the inspection, testing and treatment of any animal, restricted material or infected animal material at any time before, during and after importation; (b) the isolation of any animal, restricted material or infected animal material at any time before, during and after importation; (c) the quarantine of any animal, restricted material or infected animal material before and after importation; (d) the certification of any aspect of the identity, health status, travel arrangements or history of any animal, restricted material or infected animal material.