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Importing
Determine whether your import requires an import permit and save time obtaining your permit by reviewing specific import requirements for common items.
Step One: Read the general requirements
An
import permit is not required for commercially-produced packets of processed
food products with ingredients of animal origin, labelled as having been
produced in Australia or New Zealand.
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Tinned foods
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Seafood
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Pet food (canned meat or biscuits)
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Biscuits,
cakes, pastry, noodles (cooked, with egg or honey ingredients)
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Processed
dairy products (butter, cheese, cream, ice-cream, infant food, pasteurized/UHT
milk)
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Egg (cooked – non fertile in hermetically sealed containers)
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Health
Foods containing bee products, including bee venom, pollen, propolis, royal
jelly (must be processed and prepared as encapsulated doses such as tablets or
capsules).
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Processed beeswax (candles, cosmetics, foundation, ornaments,
polishes)
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Feathers (new dusters, hats, lures, bleached, curled or waved)
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Furs (manufactured)
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Leather (new and fully manufactured)
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Saddles and
saddle harnesses (new)
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Wool (processed)
An import permit is required for
all animals and animal products, including those listed above, from all other
countries.
General requirements for all animal and animal product imports:
1. Permission to Import
Applications for a permit to import an animal or animal product are to be submitted on the official form well before the planned export of the animal or animal product. Where a single entry permit is issued, the original copy of the import permit must be presented at the time of importation to obtain release of the consignment. Should the disease status of an exporting country change after an import permit has been issued Biosecurity Solomon Islands reserves the right to withdraw the permit or to vary the permit conditions at their discretion without prior notice.
Application Forms
2. Notification
The arrival date and mode of transportation are to be included in the permit application. In the case of live animals their arrival to be notified to Biosecurity Solomon Islands at least 48 hours prior to arrival, and no later than one working weekday before embarkation of the animals.
3. Transportation of Animals
Animals must be transported in a secure suitable container in accordance with the recommendations for the transport of live animals of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) live animals regulations as appropriate.
All feed or fodder accompanying the animals must comply with the import conditions of Solomon Islands for plant or animal products, if not then any surplus will remain on board the vessel or aircraft, or be destroyed at the owner’s expense upon arrival at the Port of Entry.
Any bedding should comprise only of sterile peat, soft board, treated wood shavings, shredded paper or other inert approved products. All bedding material should remain on board the vessel or aircraft, or be destroyed by incineration at the owner’s expense upon arrival in Solomon Islands.
Animals are transported entirely at the risk of the importer and Biosecurity Solomon Islands holds no responsibility for the care or safety of animals during transport.
4. Documentation
The following documentation is required to accompany imports of animals and high risk animal products:
- A valid Import Permit is required:
- For single importations of animals and animal products the Permit is to be presented at the time of importation.
- For multiple importations under one Permit then a copy of the Permit may be presented at the time of importation.
- A Statutory Declaration by the owner or agent is required to accompany live animal imports, stating:
- A full description of the animal;
- That to the best of his/her knowledge the animal is free from all infectious and contagious diseases;
- That the animal has not been in contact with any diseased animals for the 30 days immediately prior to embarkation.
- An official Animal Health Certificate is required to accompany all imports of live animals and animal products.
The certificate must be signed by a Government Veterinary Officer of the exporting country attesting to the certification assurances required in the specific schedules for animals or animal products.
In some cases an Approved Veterinarian, approved by the veterinary authorities in the exporting country, may provide certification of pre-export treatments and health examinations.
5. Post Arrival Procedures
On arrival in Solomon Islands all consignments of animals and animal products must be presented to a Biosecurity Officer for validation of any required documentation. In particular all live animals (except dogs and cats from Australia or New Zealand) must be inspected by veterinary officer approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock prior to release from the port of entry. All costs are to be borne by the importer.
Biosecurity Solomon Islands has the right to inspect, examine, sample, test, detain, quarantine and treat any consignments of animals to ensure they comply with Solomon Islands import requirements. Any non-compliant consignments of animals may be destroyed or re-exported. All costs associated with these actions are to be borne by the importer. Biosecurity Solomon Islands holds no responsibility for any losses incurred by the importer, owner or agent.
6. Post Entry Quarantine Requirements
Where animals are required to undergo a period of post entry quarantine, they must remain within the confines of an approved post entry quarantine facility for the full period of quarantine and will only be released at the discretion of by a veterinary officer approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. The post-entry facility must meet the following general requirements:
(i) The facilities must be inspected and approved by an officer authorised by the Director of Biosecurity before a permit for importation is issued, and:
- Be sufficiently secure to contain the quarantined animals.
- Contain adequate handling facilities for animals
- Maintain adequate separation from other animals.
- Have adequate containment of drainage and animal waste.
- Have adequate provision for feed and water.
7. Fees
A permit fee and an inspection fee will be charged in accordance with the current schedule of BSI fees and charges for Biosecurity Solomon Islands. Any and all costs or fees associated with ensuring consignments comply with import requirements are to be borne directly by the importer. Biosecurity Solomon Islands holds no responsibility for any losses incurred by the importer, owner or agent.
An import permit and accompanying phytosanitary certificate is not required for
certain commercially packaged and labelled plant products from any country.
- Cooked fruit and vegetables
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Pickled fruit
and vegetables
- Cooked plant products
- Preserved fruit and vegetables
- Fried plant products
- Processed nuts (in their final processed form, i.e.
shelled or hulled)
- Freeze dried plant products
- Spices
- Frozen fruit and
vegetables
An import permit is not required for
vegetable seeds for sowing (except maize, sweetcorn) in consignments of less than 250gm from certain suppliers in
certain countries so long as certain requirements have been met.
View the list of Approved vegetable seed suppliers.
An import permit is not required for certain
timber products from all countries so long as certain requirements have been
met.
- Wood charcoal (including shell or nut
charcoal)
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Wood wool; wood flour.
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Sheets for veneering less than 6mm thick
- Wood (including strips and friezes for parquet flooring, etc.
- Particle board,
oriented strand board (OSB) and similar board
- Fibreboard of wood.
- Plywood,
veneered panels and similar laminated wood.
- Densified wood, in blocks,
plates, strips or profile shapes.
- Wooden frames for paintings, photographs,
mirrors or similar objects.
- Packing cases, pallets, boxes, crates, drums and
similar packing with ISPM 15 certification.
- Casks, barrels, vats, tubs
assembled and full.
- Tools, tool bodies, tool handles, broom or brush bodies
and handles, of wood
- Tableware and kitchenware, of wood.
- Wood marquetry
and inlaid wood; caskets and cases etc.
Requirements:
- Inspection
on arrival, treat if required
- Must be free of pests, soil and foreign matter
An import permit is not required for
certain miscellaneous products from all countries so long as certain
requirements have been met.
- Artifacts
- Basketware
- Caneware
Requirements for small hand-carried consignments:
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Must be clean, free of
pests, soil and foreign matter
- Inspection on arrival with treatment if
required
Requirements for commercial consignments:
- Pre-shipment fumigation with MB at
48g/m3 for 16 hours at 21oC.
- Phytosanitary certificate confirming fumigation
- Inspection on arrival to confirm effective fumigation.
An import
permit is required for all plant and plant products not referenced above.
General requirements apply to all plant and plant product imports:
1. Permission to import
An Import Permit is required. Applications
are to be submitted on the official form. The original copy of the permit must
be presented to obtain release of the consignment.
Application Forms
2. Documentation
A Phytosanitary
Certificate (PC), issued by the National Plant Protection Authority in the
country of origin, must accompany all consignments, certifying the produce to be
free of pests and diseases. The certificate must also include any additional
declarations specified on the Import Permit.
Where a consignment has been
transhipped to the Solomon Islands via another country, a “Re-export
Certificate” shall accompany that consignment. The re-export certificate shall
be issued by the National Plant Protection Authority at the port of re-export
and clearly identify the consignment (i.e. exporter, consignee, description of
product, number of packages, distinguishing marks, place of origin, means of
conveyance, point of entry into country). The certificate shall certify that the
consignment in question has been transported and handled in such a manner as to
prevent the possibility of pest infestation and product substitution during
transit.
3. Pre-shipping procedures
- Shipments must be free of soil and/or debris and be packed in new
packages.
- Leafy vegetables must be free of roots, and non-leafy vegetables
must be free of foliage.
- Consignments are subject to inspection on arrival
and any treatment necessary.
Included here are:
- Earthmoving machinery
- Logging equipment
- Mining equipment
- Agriculture equipment
- Used or second hand vehicles
- New vehicles
- Sporting equipment
- Camping equipment
- Military equipment
Any of the above will be inspected on arrival and must be found free of soil, any plant material and any other biosecurity risk material. You are recommended to clean your equipment before they depart from the exporting country. Government or accredited agent certificates of cleanliness are welcome and may reduce the requirement for inspection on arrival.
Step Two: Find any specific requirements
Many animals, plants, and animal or plant products have specific import requirements additional to the general requirements listed above. Use the search filter here to find any specific requirements for your import.* Also review the definitions of plant and animal technical terms.
Cassava Bacterial Blight*
Scientific Name
Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. manihotis. Previously, it was known as Xanthomonas. campestris pv. manihotis, and in Palau is it recorded as Bacterium robici, a much older name.
Distribution
First reported in Solomon Islands in August 2015 from Malaita, there are no reports from elsewhere in Solomon Islands. It is recorded extensively in South and Southeast Asia, throughout Africa, South and Central America, the Caribbean, Oceania. It has been recorded in Guam, Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau. The CABI Crop Protection Compendium records cassava bacterial blight from Fiji, but this is likely to be incorrect.
Hosts
Cassava and wild Manihot species.
Symptoms & Life Cycle
At first, angular, water-soaked spots occur on the leaves which are restricted by the veins; the spots are more clearly seen on the lower leaf surface. The spots expand rapidly, join together, especially along the margins of the leaves, and turn brown with yellow borders. Droplets of a creamy-white ooze occur at the centre of the spots; later, they turn yellow. The bacteria travel in the vascular system - the tubes which carry water and food in the plant - from the leaf blades to the leaf stalks, and from there to the stems.
Stem infections block the flow of water and food and the leaves above wilt, die and fall, and branches die back. The tips of the stems blacken resulting in a "candle" appearance, and new shoots and leaves develop below. These, too, become infected, wilt and die.
Roots are rarely affected, although rots around dead vascular tissue occasionally occur on susceptible varieties.
Spread of the disease occurs over short distances in wind-blown rain, and on tools - bush knives and hoes - and also by people and animals passing through plantations moving the sticky droplets containing the bacteria from infected to healthy leaves. The stems are also infected through wounds, often made when leaves are removed for eating, and by insects.
Long distance spread is in cuttings used for propagation, which sprout to produce leaves with spots and stems that die back. Seeds also become infected via the vascular tissues. Infection requires 12 hours at 90-100% humidity, with temperatures of 22-26oC. In addition to rainfall, wide fluctuations between night and day temperatures in the range of 15-30oC increase disease severity.
The bacteria survive for many months on stems and gum from the spots and wounds, renewing activity when the rains come. Apart from wounds, the bacteria also enter the plants through the stomata, the natural holes where gases enter and exit the leaves and green stems.
Impact
A major bacterial disease of cassava. There have been a number of epidemics caused by this disease in Africa. In the 1970s they were especially severe in Nigeria, Uganda and Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) where crop losses were more than 75%. In Zaire, starvation was reported. In Colombia, losses in the 1970s were estimated to be about 7%, even after the most susceptible varieties had been discarded by farmers.
Detection & Inspection
Look to see if leaves are drying and dying early. Look for angular spots on the leaves, and cut out small pieces of the leaf from the edge of the spots and place them in a drop of water. Look for bacterial streaming - the streaming appears as white streaks in the water. Look for dark brown to black streaks on the green part of the stem, and for the presence of sticky liquid. Look for browning in the vascular tissues, i.e., the water conducting tubes, after peeling the bark and splitting the stem.
Management
Quarantine
Whenever cassava varieties are moved between countries they should be as pathogen-tested plantlets growing in sterile media, according to the FAO/IBPGR Technical Guidelines for the Safe Movement of Cassava Germplasm. Seed should also be treated as stated in the Guidelines. Upon arrival in the receiving country, the plantlets and seed should be grown in containment and kept under observation.
Cultural Control
Before planting:
- Carefully, choose cuttings for planting. Do not take them from diseased plantations as the plants may look healthy but have internal infections. If that is not possible, try and obtain cuttings from a trusted source. If neither is possible, look for plants without leaf and stem symptoms, and take from the oldest part of the stems up to 1 m above soil level. Check that there is no browning of the vascular tissues; if there is, discard the cuttings.
- Do not plant new plots of cassava next to those that are infected by the disease. And do not plant downwind as bacteria could be spread in wind-driven rain to the new planting.
- Do not plant crops of cassava one after another on the same land, especially if the last crop had the disease; leave a gap of 1-2 years.
During growth:
- Cut out infected plants if only a few plants show symptoms; only do this during dry times, otherwise the disease may be spread in water droplets.
- Always clean the tools used in cassava plantations, and do not allow people into the plantings unless they are authorised; and also prevent animals from straying inside.
After harvest:
- Collect all the stems and other debris after harvest and burn or bury them, except for the cuttings carefully chosen for planting the next crop.
Resistant Varieties
Check with government agricultural authorities for varieties that are tolerant to the disease. Many have been bred at international research stations in Africa and South America. The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (CePaCT lab) carries stocks of these varieties for countries to test. Check what is available.
Chemical Control
This is not an option for the control of this disease.
* This fact sheet is extracted from the mobile app Pacific Pests and Pathogens available on iOS and Android. Written by Grahame Jackson with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project PC/2010/090: Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.
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* These are sample documents that provide an indication of the requirements your import must meet. You will receive the latest documents from us when you make your application. If you cannot find requirements for your proposed import and wish to investigate development of new ones, please contact us.
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