The Pigs (Records, Identification and Movement) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012

PART 1 INTRODUCTION

Citation and commencement

1.  This Order may be cited as the Pigs (Records, Identification and Movement) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012 and shall come into operation 19th March 2012.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In this Order—

“curer mark” means a code of up to 4 characters applied to the shoulder of a pig as a tattoo, allocated to a keeper and registered by the Department;

“Divisional Veterinary Office” in relation to any holding means the Divisional Veterinary Office or DARD Direct Office of the Department which processes movements for the area in which a holding is located;

“the Directive” means Council Directive 2008/71/EC of 15 July 2008 on the identification and registration of pigs(1);

“electronic communication” means a communication transmitted (whether from one person to another, from one device to another or from a person to a device or vice versa)—

(a)

by means of an electronic telecommunications network; or

(b)

by other means but while in an electronic form;

“holding” means any establishment, construction or, in the case of an open air farm, any place in which pigs are held, kept or handled and includes land with or without buildings;

“holding code” means an alphanumeric code, allocated by the Department under article 4(3);

“holding register” means the register required under article 5(1);

“identification mark” means any individual identification number, holding code or curer mark applied to a pig in accordance with this Order, or an identification mark applied in accordance with the Aujeszky’s Disease Order (Northern Ireland) 1994(2);

“individual identification number” means a unique number of up to 4 digits for the identification of each pig;

“keeper” means any person having care and control of pigs, whether on a temporary or permanent basis, but does not include a person who only transports pigs;

“market” means a market place, sale-yard or any other premises or place to which animals are brought from any other place and exposed for sale and includes any place, lairage or parking area adjoining a market and used in connection with it;

“movement document” means a document approved by the Department, or by the competent authority of any country outside Northern Ireland in the case of a pig imported from that country, for the notification of pig movements as required under article 14;

“operator” means the person for the time being responsible, or a duly authorised representative of such a person, for—

(a)

in the case of a market, managing the reception or the sale of animals in a market; or

(b)

in the case of a show, managing the reception of animals in a show; or

(c)

in the case of a slaughterhouse, managing the reception of animals in a slaughterhouse.

“pig” means any animal of the suidae family;

“show” means an event at which animals are exhibited but not for the purpose of sale;

“slaughterhouse” means any premises used for the commercial slaughter or killing of pigs, the flesh of which is intended for human consumption, including any associated facilities for moving or lairaging such animals.

(2) Any other expressions defined in the Directive have the same meaning in this Order.

Authorisations

3.—(1) An authorisation, licence, notice, approval or registration under this Order or the Directive—

(a) shall be in writing;

(b) may be made subject to conditions; and

(c) may be amended, suspended or revoked by notice in writing at any time.

(2) A person to whom any document specified in paragraph (1) is issued shall comply with its requirements.

Notification of holdings

4.—(1) A person who intends to keep a pig on a holding shall inform the Department in writing beforehand, giving details of—

(a) the name and address of the keeper of the pig;

(b) the address or an accurate description of the location of the holding;

(c) the name and address of the owner and, if different, the occupier of the holding;

(d) the address or an accurate description of the location of the premises on the holding on which the pig is intended to be kept; and

(e) any other species of animals on the holding and any numbers or codes used to identify any cattle, sheep, goats or poultry on the holding.

(2) A notification made to the Department under article 3 of the Aujeszky’s Disease Order (Northern Ireland) 1994 or paragraph 3 and Annex 1 of the Schedule to the Aujeszky’s Disease Scheme Order (Northern Ireland) 1994(3) shall, notwithstanding the revocation of those Orders, be regarded as a notification for the purpose of paragraph (1).

(3) On receiving notification under paragraph (1) the Department may allocate to the keeper a holding code.

(4) A person shall not move a pig onto a holding until a holding code has been allocated.

(5) A person shall not move a pig to different premises on a holding until the address or an accurate description of those premises has been notified in writing or by electronic communication to the Department.

(6) If there is any change to the information notified pursuant to paragraphs (1) or (2) or if the keeper stops keeping pigs on any premises on the holding, the keeper shall notify the Department in writing or by electronic communication within 7 days of the change.

(1)

O. J. No. L 213, 8.08.2008, p.31

(2)

S.R. 1994 No.198

(3)

S.R. 1994 No.199