Veterinary Law Code 2016.

This Law makes provisions with respect to a wide array of matters relating to animal health, animal production and animal products. The Law is divided into 17 Chapters: Introduction (1); General Provisions (2); Disease Notification and General Obligations (3); Notifiable Disease Control (4); Animal Welfare (5); Export/Import of Animals and Animal Products (6); Transport of Animals and Animal Products (7); Meat Hygiene (8); Private Veterinarians (9); Regulation of Veterinary Drugs and Related Substances (10); Fees, Penal and Other Provisions (11); Animal Disease Emergency and Response Management (12); Action During Disease Emergency (13); The Veterinary Board (14); Provision for Additional Regulations of this Code (15); Abolishing The Law(16); Legalization (17).
The Ministry of Livestock, forestry and range of Somalia shall assure the health of the national Herd for purposes of protecting and promoting animal and human health and to promote animal welfare and care. The Veterinary Service under the Ministry of Livestock (“Veterinary authority”) shall, among other things, carry out disease surveillance and monitoring (also for wild animals), carry out export and import inspection and certification of animals and animal products according to international standards, carry out veterinary measure and provide with respect to veterinary aspects of aquaculture. It shall both carry out public functions and carry out private services. The Minister shall be the highest authority in the Veterinary Administration and shall be responsible for the overall national livestock policy and related activities and make rules and guidelines supporting the animal health code. There shall be a National Veterinary Board, which shall act as function under , but independent of, the Veterinary Administration. It shall, among other things regulate the veterinary profession and veterinary drugs. The Veterinary Administration shall, in carrying out its functions, take into account requirements of importing countries and international measures, in particular those of World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), WTO and FAO. Also the responsibilities of the Chief Veterinary Officer are defined in this Code.
The Code also provides with respect to meat hygiene. The Minister may issue a decree to declare any abattoir, slaughterhouse or any other place where livestock are slaughtered for the purpose of human consumption, to be a designated place for the purpose of meat inspection. Except in an emergency, livestock slaughtered at a designated place, shall, prior to such slaughter, be inspected by an inspecting officer in accordance with the code of practice.
The Ministry of livestock, forestry and range shall be the lead agency and the Chief Veterinary Officer shall have overall responsibilities for the control of any emergency animal diseases. It shall have an Emergency Disease Task Force Unit and there shall also be a National Disease Emergency Commission. An important role in case of a (suspected) emergency is assigned to the Chief Veterinary Officer. Veterinarians and drugs shall be registered with the Veterinary Board.