Muscat – H E Dr Saud bin Hamoud bin Ahmed al Habsi, Minister of Agricultural, Fisheries and Water Resources, has issued two ministerial decisions lifting as well as imposing bans on the import of live birds and their products, derivatives and waste from a number of countries and regions as part of updated veterinary and health-related trade measures.

Ministerial Decision No 42/2026 stipulates in Article 1 the removal of the import ban on consignments from Odisha state in India, Buenos Aires Province in Argentina, and the counties of Cavan, Meath, Monaghan, Laois and Carlow in the Republic of Ireland.

The ministry said the move falls within the framework of periodic reviews of precautionary measures related to animal health, based on assessments of the epidemiological situation in the countries concerned.

Meanwhile, the Ministry has also issued a separate ministerial decision imposing a temporary ban on the import of live birds and related products from specific regions in several countries as a precautionary step to safeguard animal health and biosecurity in Oman.

Under Ministerial Decision No 43/2026, the ban covers imports of live birds, their products, derivatives and waste from Catalonia in Spain; Perth and Kinross in Scotland, United Kingdom; the provinces of Isabela, Nueva Ecija and Davao del Sur in the Philippines; and the provinces of Podlaskie and Lubelskie in Poland.

The ministry said the restrictions will remain in place until the underlying animal health concerns are resolved and a further decision is issued by the competent authorities. The measures form part of Oman’s ongoing efforts to prevent the introduction of transboundary animal diseases and to ensure imports comply with international veterinary and sanitary standards. Import policies are regularly reviewed in line with global animal health updates and risk assessments.

The ministry clarified that the ban does not apply to products, derivatives and waste that have been heat-treated or otherwise thermally processed in accordance with the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), as such treatments are internationally recognised to reduce the risk of disease transmission.

© Apex Press and Publishing Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).