Animal Health and Veterinary Public Health Act of 2022.

This Act lays down provisions, in Part II, on the establishment and functions of the Veterinary Authority; powers and duties of the Chief Veterinary Officer; designation of official and reference laboratories; appointment of official veterinarians and inspectors; and review, evaluation and audit of the Veterinary Authority by an external body. Part III regulates the control of animal diseases and zoonoses, and provides rules for the development of a list of notifiable diseases for aquatic and terrestrial animals; establishment of a surveillance and an early detection system; measures to control or eradicate diseases and prevent the introduction or spread of the disease; conditions for the declaration of an infected area and animal disease emergency; development of animal disease contingency plans for emergencies affecting animal health; designation of disease-free zones; permit for the movement of any animal, animal product or animal-related item or other thing covered under a movement restriction or prohibition; management of animals affected by a notifiable disease; procedures for disinfection; and killing and disposal of animals infected or reasonably suspected of being infected with a notifiable disease. The Minister may order compensation to be paid to owners of animals destroyed in order to achieve eradication, control or prevention of the further spread in Barbados or introduction into Barbados of a notifiable animal disease.
Part IV sets out rules on authorization of the importation, sale, advertisement, distribution or use of registered medicinal products and animal feed containing veterinary medicinal products egistered by the Veterinary Authority; veterinary ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections at slaughterhouses; and measures to prevent the introduction and spread of zoonotic and emerging diseases. The Veterinary Authority shall collaborate with the ministry responsible for public health to ensure that the requirements and inspections systems established meet public health and food safety requirements. Health provisions related to animal production are laid down in Part V, including the authorization of the importation, sale, advertisement, distribution or use of animal feed registered by the Veterinary Authority; establishment of a system for the identification and traceability of prescribed species of animals; and conditions and requirements for animal reproduction. The Veterinary Authority shall collaborate with the ministry responsible for food safety to trace animals and animal products to be used for food for human consumption.
Part VI determines standards and requirements for inspection facilities; restrictions, conditions and requirements for importing any animal, animal products or animal-related items into Barbados, such as requirement for an international veterinary certificate or an import permit; inspections of imported animals, animal products and animal-related items; transit of animals and animal products through Barbados with the written approval from the Veterinary Authority; conditions for issuing an international veterinary certificate by the Veterinary Authority to export an animal, animal product or animal-related item; and designation of quarantine stations for the quarantine of animals. Animal welfare provisions are laid down in Part VII, which prohibit cruelty to animals and their mistreatment. The Veterinary Authority may prescribe animal welfare standards for terrestrial and aquatic animals. Part IX sets out rules on the powers of an inspector, development and implementation of sanitary measures for Barbados, and appeal from an action or decision of an inspector. Part X determines offences and penalties, procedure for offences, administrative penalty, powers of the Chief Veterinary Officer in administrative proceedings, and fixed penalty notice for prescribed offences, and Part XI sets out miscellaneous provisions.
The standards for animal health and welfare applied under this Act shall be consistent with the standards of the World Organization for Animal Health and the Codex Alimentarius Commission which is the international standard setting body for food safety. The notifiable diseases for terrestrial animals are listed in First Schedule and for aquatic animals are listed in Second Schedule.