The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) has issued the Ministerial Resolution No. 98 of 2020 on identifying imported livestock, including camels, cattle, sheep, and goats, with the aim of supporting livestock production and curbing animal diseases through tracking and controlling the movement of livestock.
The decree mandates Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority to create accounts for all livestock importers on the Animal Identification and Registration System (AIRS) to register their imported animals.
Under the resolution, importers must oversee the humane branding or tagging of the livestock in the country of export during the quarantine period, and ensure that each imported animal has an identification tag that matches the number in the import permit issued by MOCCAE and AIRS. Furthermore, they must inform MOCCAE or the concerned local authority should the identification tag be lost or damaged, or should the animal die.
The decree specifies that the identification tag number is used in the cases of re-exporting and transporting the animals, bringing them to and from the market, and sending them to the abattoir.
Concerned local entities must inform Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority when the registered animals are slaughtered or when their ownership is transferred to another party. Furthermore, MOCCAE must notify the Authority when the registered animals are re-exported to update the data in AIRS.
Kaltham Kayaf, Acting Director of the Animal Development and Health Department at MOCCAE, said: “The Ministerial Resolution No. 98 of 2020 will enhance our ability to keep track of the movement of livestock. In addition to other existing veterinary health monitoring systems, AIRS seeks to boost the overall wellbeing of the animals through helping us detect and contain the spread of contagious diseases.”
The document prohibits changing or modifying the identification tags without informing the concerned entities. In addition, it bans purchasing, selling, or transporting imported animals in case their tags are removed or modified. According to the decree, removing the tags is only allowed when the animals are slaughtered in approved abattoirs.
The resolution also outlines penalties for violators. In coordination with law enforcement authorities, MOCCAE and the concerned local entity can impose administrative closure on the violating facility for a period not exceeding three months. Following the closure period, the facility may reopen provided that the violation has been rectified. Should the facility commit the violation repeatedly after reopening, permanent closure and cancellation of permits will apply.