Inspection and Monitoring of Farms

1. Registered farms must comply with rules listed in Chapter 3 “Farm Management” of the Manual to fill in and keep the farm operations record provided by the AFCD or adopt a recording format with prior approval from the AFCD (e.g. computer records in a specified format). The content mainly involves items such as the number of aquatic products purchased/sold, feeding records, health conditions of aquatic products, medication records and hygiene inspection records. Relevant records must be submitted to the AFCD personnel during inspections. The AFCD will conduct inspections on registered farms from time to time. The number and frequency of inspections are determined by the AFCD with the aim to check the health conditions and management records of the farms. For water quality monitoring, the AFCD will collect water samples from time to time for various analyses, such as pH, dissolved oxygen concentration, nutrients, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae). The items for analysis are determined by the AFCD depending on the situation. The AFCD will also conduct health checks for aquatic products and provide technical advice and veterinary support services when needed.
2. The AFCD staff will conduct inspections on registered farms to ensure the compliance of rules listed in Chapter 3 of the Manual. In case of violations, the AFCD may cancel the farm registration according to the procedures set out in Figure 2 of Enclosure 2 of the Manual. Deregistered farms are not eligible for re-registration of the AFFS for one year.