Fish Import Permit

(1) The Managing Director, in consultation with the Minister shall issue a fish import permit on receiving an application and the applicant paying a fee of $10.00, or $500.00 if a risk analysis and the elaboration of the specific conditions under which the importation is allowed is needed, unless the Managing Director, in consultation with the Minister, has reasonable grounds to believe that the applicant will not comply with the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (Food Safety) Regulations, 2001, or these Regulations. (2) An import permit is not assignable and unless otherwise noted, expires 90 days after the date of issue indicated on the (3) An importer of fish or fishery product shall maintain, at an address in Belize and for not less than three years, a record in English of– (a) the name and address of the person to whom each shipment of fish or fishery product was shipped from the importer and the date on which the fish or fishery product was shipped; (b) the date and time of all information received that questions the safety of fish or fishery product imported by the holder of the permit; (c) if the information is validated on investigation– (i) a description of the information; (ii) the date and time it was received; (iii) the name, address and telephone number of the informant; (iv) the method of investigation and the results obtained; (v) the corrective actions taken; and (vi) the date and time the Authority was notified in accordance with regulation 7 (2); (d) with respect to canned fish or fishery product232 (i) the name, address and telephone number of the process authority that developed the thermal process used; (ii) the type, size and specifications, style of pack, species packed and if the thermal process utilized has not been published or described in scientific literature recognized by the Authority, the sterilizing value (F0) of the thermal process; (iii) a statement in writing signed by the representative of the process authority that attests that the thermal process results in the production of commercially sterile and safe fish products; (e) with respect to ready-to-eat fish or fishery product– (i) for a period of one year after the day of the coming into force of these Regulations, evidence of adequate processing; and (ii) after the end of the period referred to in subparagraph(i)(A) the name, address and telephone number of the person who developed the process used; (B) the container type and size, style of pack, the species packed, the type of process, the description of the process; (C) a statement in writing signed by the person who developed the process or that person’s representative that attests that the process results in the production of safe fish products; and (D) if the importer has instituted a food safety program recognized by the Authority(I) the name, business address, business telephone number and title of the responsible for the food safety program for that importer; (II) the location of all files and records for the food safety pro-gram; (III) a description of the standards, monitoring and procedures, analyses and tests that are used in product evaluations, and the evidence acceptable to an Inspector that they meet or are equivalent to those in place in the Authority; (IV) the frequency of monitoring importations of fish or fishery product and evidence that they meet or are equivalent to those in place in the Authority; (V) samples of the forms that are used during evaluations and of the forms that are used to corrective actions; (VI) a description of the corrective action plans developed; (VII) for each importation of fish or fishery product– (a) a description of the fish or fishery product by species, form of processing, producer, size and type of container and the label; (b) all the evaluations conducted and whether or not the product was acceptable; and (c) any corrective actions taken in respect of product rejections; (VIII) in respect of ingredients and additives– (a) all the ingredients and additives that are added to the fish or fishery product; and (b) the results of any tests done by or for the importer that verify that the ingredient or additive complies with those (IX) in respect of packaging materials– (a) all the packaging materials used; and (b) documentation that clearly establishes that the packaging materials meet all applicable of any law or standard of Belize; (X) in respect of labels used on packaged fish, all the labels from products that are imported, the means by which the importer reviews labels to ensure their compliance, and documentation that clearly establishes that the meet all applicable requirements of Belize national standard for labelling; (XI) in respect of fish or fishery product shipped by an importer, a description of the system used to trace fish or fishery product to its first destination; and (XII) in respect of any person responsible for any aspect of the food safety program for the importer, evidence of their training or qualifications in fish or food or quality control. (4) Subregulation (3)(d) and (e) do not apply to fish imported from a country with which Belize has entered into an agreement regarding the import and export of fish or fishery product if the agreement contains provisions by which Belize– (a) recognizes that the fish or fishery product inspection and control systems in place in that country are equivalent to those required by these Regulations in respect of canned and ready to eat fish or fishery product; and (b) has access to all information and records that are equivalent to those required by subregulation (3)(d) and (e) and that are held by the fish or fishery product inspection authority in that country. etc.