Power to make orders with regard to import, etc.
7.—(1) The Minister may make orders —(a)
specifying the countries or the parts of any country from which animals and birds, or any specified kinds of animals or birds, may be imported or transhipped either with or without restriction; or
(b)
prohibiting, either absolutely or conditionally, the import and transhipment from any specified country or any specified part of a country of any carcase, semen, fodder, litter, dung or any product of animals or birds or any article or substance that is likely to convey or spread any disease.
(2) Any person who contravenes the provisions of any order made under subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
No person to import or tranship any animal, bird or veterinary biologics without licence
8.—(1) Except as provided in any order made under section 7(1), a person must not import or tranship any animal, bird or veterinary biologics, except in accordance with a licence issued in that behalf by the Director‑General and in accordance with the conditions (if any) of that licence and such other conditions as may be prescribed.
(2) A licence to import or tranship any animal, bird or veterinary biologics under this Act may be obtained on an application made in the prescribed form to the Director‑General and upon the payment of such fees as may be prescribed.
(2A) In deciding whether to grant a licence for the import of any animal or bird intended for human consumption or production of primary produce, the Director‑General may make inquiries and investigations that are reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances so as to be satisfied as to the experience and resources of the applicant in providing a secure and reliable supply in Singapore of the animals or birds of acceptable quality for human consumption or production of primary produce, as the case may be.[10/2019]
(2B) Without limiting subsection (2A), the inquiries and investigations may include whether an applicant for a licence for the import of any animal or bird intended for human consumption or production of primary produce has a procurement plan stating —(a)
the risks (including assessments of such risks) of any disruption occurring to the import of the animal or bird from the markets from which the animal or bird is to be procured; and
(b)
any plan of action (including preventive strategies) for the purpose of —(i)
ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the applicant can still provide a secure and reliable supply in Singapore of the animal or bird of acceptable quality; or
(ii)
otherwise reducing or mitigating the effect of any disruption to the supply of the animal or bird from any such market from which the animal or bird is to be procured.[10/2019]
(2C) The Director‑General may grant a licence subject to such conditions as the Director‑General thinks fit, including but not limited to the conditions necessary or related to ensuring a secure and reliable supply in Singapore of any animals or birds intended for human consumption or production of primary produce, as the case may be.[10/2019]
(3) Any person importing or transhipping an animal, bird or veterinary biologics in contravention of subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
Import or possession of noxious insects, pests or genetically modified organisms, etc.
9.—(1) A person must not, without the prior written consent of the Director‑General, knowingly import into Singapore or have in the person’s possession any living noxious insect, or any living pest, or any living disease germ or virus or any bacterial culture, of a nature harmful or dangerous to animals or birds, or any genetically modified organism.
(2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
Examination of imported animals and birds
10.—(1) Any person who has imported any animal or bird must, if so directed by the Director‑General or an authorised officer, immediately upon the arrival of the animal or bird in Singapore, at the person’s own expense arrange for the animal or bird to be examined by an authorised examiner.
(2) For the purpose of carrying out the examination of any animal or bird under subsection (1), an authorised examiner may detain the animal or bird at a quarantine station or such other place as may be approved by the Director‑General or an authorised officer until the completion of the examination.
(3) If any animal or bird, upon being examined by an authorised examiner under subsection (1), is certified by the authorised examiner to be suffering from —(a)
any disease or injury which, in the opinion of the authorised examiner, cannot be treated or relieved; or
(b)
any disease which is likely to spread unless the animal or bird is destroyed,
the person who imported the animal or bird must, at the person’s own expense, cause that animal or bird to be destroyed at once and the carcase thereof to be disposed of in such manner as may be specified by the Director‑General or an authorised officer.
(4) Any person who fails to comply with subsection (1) or (3) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
Arrival of animal or bird to be reported
11.—(1) The master of any ship or aircraft and the guard of any train on which there is any animal or bird, whether that animal or bird is intended to be landed in Singapore or not, must immediately on the first arrival of the ship, aircraft or train at a port, airfield or station in Singapore report the fact to a port officer or the officer in charge of the airfield or the station master (as the case may be) who must without delay inform an authorised officer.
(2) An authorised officer may —(a)
board any ship, aircraft or train for the purpose of examining any animal or bird therein; or
(b)
direct the master of the ship or aircraft or the guard of the train to arrange, at his or her own expense, for the animal or bird to be examined by an authorised examiner.
(3) Despite the fact that —(a)
a licence has been issued for the import or transhipment of an animal or bird under section 8; or
(b)
any animal or bird comes from a country or part of a country which has been specified in an order made under section 7(1)(a),
the port officer or officer in charge of an airfield or station master must not permit that animal or bird to be landed from the ship or removed from the aircraft or the train (as the case may be) until he or she has personally satisfied himself or herself that an authorised officer has granted a permit for the landing or removal of that animal or bird from the ship, aircraft or train.
(4) Any person who —(a)
fails to make a report as is required under subsection (1);
(b)
fails to comply with any direction given to the person by an authorised officer under subsection (2); or
(c)
permits an animal or bird to be landed or removed from any ship, aircraft or train in contravention of subsection (3),
shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
Power to deal with diseased animals and birds being imported into Singapore
12.—(1) Where the Director‑General or an authorised officer has reasonable grounds for suspecting that there is on board any vehicle, aircraft or ship that has entered or that is about to enter Singapore any animal or bird that is infected with any disease, the Director‑General or authorised officer may direct the person who is or who appears to be in command or charge of the vehicle, aircraft or ship to take all or any of the following measures at the person’s own expense:(a)
ensure that any animal or bird on board the vehicle, aircraft or ship is not (as the case requires) removed from the vehicle, aircraft or ship or brought into Singapore;
(b)
arrange for any animal or bird on board the vehicle, aircraft or ship to be examined by an authorised examiner;
(c)
cause any animal or bird on board the vehicle, aircraft or ship which is infected or reasonably suspected to be infected with any disease and any other animal or bird on board the vehicle, aircraft or ship which has or may have come into contact with such animal or bird to be —(i)
destroyed and disposed of in such manner as the Director‑General or authorised officer may specify;
(ii)
removed from Singapore;
(iii)
treated in such manner as may be specified in the direction or by the authorised examiner who examined the animal or bird; or
(iv)
quarantined in such manner, at such place and for such period as the Director‑General or authorised officer may specify;
(d)
ensure that the vehicle, aircraft or ship does not enter Singapore or remove the vehicle, aircraft or ship from Singapore (as the case requires), if the Director‑General is satisfied that such measure is necessary for the prevention of the introduction or spread of any disease in Singapore.
(2) No compensation is payable in respect of any animal or bird which is required to be destroyed under subsection (1)(c)(i).
(3) Any person who fails to comply with any direction given to the person by the Director‑General or an authorised officer under subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
Animals and birds on board ship
13.—(1) Any animal or bird imported or transhipped by sea must, unless an authorised officer has authorised its landing, at all times while on board the ship in any port, be confined in an enclosed part of the ship or in a cage or kennel.
(2) If any animal or bird dies or is lost from a ship while in the port, the master of the ship must immediately notify an authorised officer of the death or loss.
(3) The master of any ship, in any case —(a)
in which any animal or bird imported or transhipped by sea in that ship has, in contravention of subsection (1), not been confined while on board the ship in the port; or
(b)
where the master fails without reasonable cause to notify the death or loss of any animal or bird while the ship is in the port,
shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
Permission to land carcases
14.—(1) A person must not land from any ship or remove from any aircraft, train or vehicle the carcase of any animal or bird without the written permission of an authorised officer who may give written directions as to the manner of its disposal.
(2) Any person —(a)
landing or removing the carcase of an animal or bird in contravention of subsection (1); or
(b)
who fails to comply with the written directions of an authorised officer given under subsection (1),
shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
Destruction or disinfection of certain articles
15.—(1) Where an authorised officer is of the opinion that any bedding, litter, fodder or other material imported by land, sea or air may convey or spread any animal disease, he or she may —(a)
seize and detain; and
(b)
order the destruction or disinfection of,
that bedding, litter, fodder or other material.
(2) No compensation is payable in respect of any bedding, litter, fodder or other material that is destroyed under subsection (1).
No person to export any animal or bird without licence
16.—(1) A person must not export any animal or bird or the carcase of any animal or bird except in accordance with —(a)
a licence in that behalf issued by the Director‑General;
(b)
the conditions of that licence, if any; and
(c)
such other conditions as may be prescribed.
(2) A licence to export any animal or bird or the carcase of any animal or bird may be issued upon an application made in the prescribed form to the Director‑General and upon the payment of such fees as may be prescribed.
(3) Any person exporting any animal or bird or the carcase of any animal or bird in contravention of subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
Examination and treatment of animals and birds before export
17.—(1) Any person who intends to export any animal or bird from Singapore must, if so directed by the Director‑General or an authorised officer, arrange, at the person’s own expense, for the animal or bird to be examined and, if necessary, treated by an authorised examiner before exporting the animal or bird.
(2) For the purpose of carrying out the examination or treatment of any animal or bird under subsection (1), an authorised examiner may detain the animal or bird at a quarantine station or such other place as may be approved by the Director‑General or an authorised officer until the completion of the examination or treatment.
(3) If any animal or bird, upon being examined by an authorised examiner under subsection (1), is certified by the authorised examiner to be infected with any disease —(a)
the person intending to export the animal or bird must not export the animal or bird without the prior approval of the Director‑General or an authorised officer; and
(b)
the Director‑General or an authorised officer may direct the person intending to export the animal or bird to treat or destroy the animal or bird at the person’s own expense in such manner as may be specified by the Director‑General or authorised officer.
(4) Any person who fails to comply with subsection (1) or (3)(a) or with any direction given to the person by the Director‑General or an authorised officer under subsection (3)(b) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
Certificate of freedom from disease
18.—(1) Any person intending to export any animal or bird or the carcase thereof or any product derived from such animal, bird or carcase may apply to an authorised examiner —(a)
for a certificate certifying that Singapore is free from such disease as may be specified in the certificate; or
(b)
for the animal, bird, carcase or product (as the case may be) to be examined and thereafter certified as to whether it is free from any disease or other condition.
(2) An application under subsection (1) must be accompanied by the prescribed fee.
Source: Singapore Statutes Online (Attorney-General's Chambers), © Government of Singapore.
