Animal Health Policy 2018.

The Animal Health Policy is a national policy with a sectoral approach. The overall purposes of this policy are to provide a modern and comprehensive legislative framework for animal health and to meet all obligations under the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement.
The main objectives of the Animal Production and Health Division are to protect and promote animal and human health; to prevent the introduction and spread of animal diseases within Trinidad and Tobago and from other countries; and to facilitate and regulate trade in animals, carcasses, animal products and animal-related items. In accordance with these objectives, the Animal Production and Health Division develops a new legislation after examining the current animal health situation in Trinidad and Tobago with respect to the current legislation. The proposed legislation will include (I) a broad definition of animals including all vertebrate and invertebrate animals, (II) the replacement of the Chief Technical Officer with the Chief Veterinary Officer, (III) the identification of a Competent Authority to be responsible for the implementation of the provisions of the legislation, (IV) the establishment of an Advisory Committee on Animal Health, (V) the delegation of certain functions to private sector veterinary surgeons; (VI) the establishment of animal welfare standards, (VII) the designation of diagnostic, research or other laboratories as an official or approved laboratory, (VIII) the development of a list of notifiable diseases based on risk analysis and economic impact, (IX) the establishment of an animal disease surveillance system by the Competent Authority to detect and report animal diseases, animal health hazards or invasive alien animal species, (X) the declaration of an infected zone and a disease-free zone, (XI) the declaration of an animal disease emergency in the event of an outbreak of a disease or the high risk of an outbreak of a disease, (XII) the development of an animal disease emergency plan; (XIII) measures to control or eradicate animal diseases and to prevent their introduction or spread, (XIV) the establishment of quarantine stations, (XV) the identification and traceability of animals and animal products, (XVI) the registration of veterinary medicinal products, (XVII) the establishment of import requirements to prevent the entry of animal diseases and zoonoses, (XVIII) the exportation requirements and official veterinary health certificates for animals, carcasses, animal products or animal-related items to be exported from Trinidad and Tobago, (XIX) retention of the relevant and updated regulations, and (XX) the enforcement of administrative penalties and fixed-penalty notices.