Code of Maine Rules
13 - DEPARTMENT OF MARINE RESOURCES
188 - MARINE RESOURCES - GENERAL
Chapter 24 - IMPORTATION OF LIVE MARINE ORGANISMS
Section 188-24-01 - Definitions
Current through 2024-38, September 18, 2024
In addition to the definitions found in 1 M.R.S.A. §72 and in 12 M.R.S.A. §6001, the following definitions shall apply in interpretation of these importation regulations, Chapter 24:
1. "Active surveillance" means laboratory testing which is conducted during the annual hatchery inspection and during spawning as outlined in Chapter 24.21(1)(E), 24.32(4), and 24.34(4).
2. "Approved quarantine facility" means a facility that the Commissioner has determined is designed, built and operated in a manner that adequately prevents the introduction of pathogens of regulatory concern or the spread of disease into waters outside the facility.
3. "Biosecurity" means precautions taken to minimize the risk of introducing an infectious disease or harmful biological agent into an animal population.
4. "Blue Book" means "Bluebook Fish Health Section American Fisheries Society. Suggested Procedures for the Detection and Identification of Certain Finfish and Shellfish Pathogens (Blue Book 2007 Edition)". If a more recent edition is available, the more recent edition will be used.
5. "Broodstock" means reproductively mature aquatic animals that have been selected or used as part of a defined breeding program (See each species group for size definitions).
6. "Chain of custody" means procedures to account for the integrity of each specimen by tracking its handling and storage from point of specimen collection to final disposition.
7. "Clinical" means any visual signs of disease by gross external or internal examination.
8. "Confidence level" means the probability of detecting evidence of at least one infected marine organism within the population of marine organisms tested at an assumed prevalence level of the agent.
9. "Cytopathic effect (CPE)" means changes in viability, morphology, and/or metabolism of tissue culture cells used in disease surveillance as the result of an infective agent.
10. "Finfish" is defined as live fish, fish embryos, or fish gametes, but does not include aquarium species commonly sold in the pet store trade when raised or held in indoor aquaria with no direct discharge to waters of the State.
11. "Fish culture facility" means an establishment where finfish are raised or held live and in which the finfish or the rearing waters will come into contact with waters of the State.
12. "Gadid" means fish in the family Gadidae.
13. "HPR0 ISAV" Sequence analysis reveals a putative "full-length" nucleotide sequence (105 nucleotides = 35 amino acids) for the highly polymorphic region of gene segment 6 which encodes the stem of the HE protein of Infectious Salmon Anemia Virus (ISAV).
14. "HPR-deleted ISAV" Sequence analysis reveals gaps in the nucleotide sequence for the highly polymorphic regions of gene segment 6 which encodes for a shortened stem region (11 to 34 amino acids) of the HE protein of Infectious Salmon Anemia Virus (ISAV).
15. "Import" means to land on, bring into or deposit in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the State of Maine from outside the State of Maine.
16. "Inspection" means an on-site, statistically-based sampling of all lots of fish at the facility and resulting laboratory tests and inspection reports conducted by an inspector in accordance with the testing requirements and procedures set forth in these rules.
17. "Inspector" means an accredited, licensed veterinarian or a certified fish health inspector; or, upon approval of the Commissioner, persons recognized by federal or state agencies with responsibility for aquatic animal health or transfer in the state from which the marine organisms originate. No marine organism culture facility owner or employee with direct supervisory authority over a facility may serve as an inspector for their facility.
18. "Introduce" means to bring into or deposit in any waters of the State from any restricted areas within the State of Maine.
19. "Marine Fish Health Zones" means the following defined marine geographic areas:
20. "Marine Organism Culture Facility Owner" means any person, partnership, company or corporation with a proprietary interest in a marine organism culture facility.
21. "Northeast Fish Health Committee Guidelines" means the most current available edition of the Northeast Fish Health Committee (NEFHC) Guidelines for Fish Health Management in Northeastern States.
22. "Nonindigenous species" means an organism belonging to a species that is not native to Maine, and that does not now exist naturally in Maine.
23. "OIE" means the World Organization for Animal Health ("Office International desepizooties").
24. "Passive surveillance" means the collection of disease or pathogen data from historical records or diagnostic sampling done during a disease outbreak or a disease investigation.
25. "Pathogens of Regulatory Concern" means infectious agents that may cause significant morbidity and/or mortality among marine organism populations in the State of Maine. Known pathogens of regulatory concern are classified by the Commissioner into two (2) pathogen categories based on an annual review and analysis of epidemiological data. See the following definitions and pathogen lists for each species or species group.
26. "Pleuronectid" means fish of the family Pleuronectidae.
27. "Prevalence" means the number of detectable cases of disease (or disease agents) present in a population.
28. "Salmonid" means fish of the family Salmonidae.
29. "Shellfish" means clams, quahogs, oysters, mussels and scallops.
30. "Standard methods" means pathogen detection methods specified in the Blue Book and/or in OIE publications, unless other standards are specifically approved by the Commissioner.
