[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 12 (Thursday, January 19, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 6482]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-01270]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2016-0093]
Addition of Moldova to the List of Regions Affected by African
Swine Fever
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have added Moldova to the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) list maintained on
the APHIS Web site of regions considered affected with African swine
fever (ASF). We are taking this action because of the confirmation of
ASF in Moldova.
DATES: Effective Date: The addition of Moldova to the APHIS list of
regions considered affected with ASF is effective retroactively to
October 4, 2016.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Donald Link, Microbiologist/Import
Risk Analyst, National Import Export Services, VS, 920 Main Campus
Drive, Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27606; (919) 855-7731;
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 9 CFR part 94 (referred
to below as the regulations) govern the importation of specified
animals and animal products to prevent the introduction into the United
States of various animal diseases, including rinderpest, foot-and-mouth
disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, swine vesicular disease,
classical swine fever, and African swine fever (ASF). These are
dangerous and destructive diseases of ruminants and swine.
Sections 94.8 and 94.17 of part 94 of the regulations contain
requirements governing the importation into the United States of pork
and pork products from regions of the world where ASF exists or is
reasonably believed to exist and imposes restrictions on the
importation of pork and pork products into the United States from those
regions. ASF is a highly contagious disease of wild and domestic swine
that can spread rapidly in swine populations with extremely high rates
of morbidity and mortality. A list of regions where ASF exists or is
reasonably believed to exist is maintained on the Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Web site at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-and-animal-product-import-information/ct_animal_disease_status.
APHIS receives notice of ASF outbreaks from veterinary officials of
the exporting country, from the World Organization for Animal Health
(OIE), or from other publically available sources the Administrator
determines to be reliable. In a report dated October 4, 2016, the
veterinary authorities of Moldova reported to the OIE confirmation of
an ASF outbreak in the Donduseni District of Moldova.
Although Moldova does not currently export pork or pork products to
the United States, APHIS has determined that it is necessary to impose
restrictions on the importation of pork and pork products from Moldova
into the United States. Therefore, in response to this outbreak, APHIS
added Moldova to the list of regions where ASF exists or is reasonably
believed to exist.
As a result, pork and pork products from Moldova are subject to
APHIS import restrictions designed to mitigate the risk of ASF
introduction into the United States. These restrictions are effective
retroactively to October 4, 2016.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7701-7772, 7781-7786, and 8301-8317; 21
U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.
Done in Washington, DC, this 12th day of January 2017.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-01270 Filed 1-18-17; 8:45 am]
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