[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 24, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 9081-9082]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03727]



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 Rules and Regulations
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  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 36 / Wednesday, February 24, 2016 / 
Rules and Regulations  

[[Page 9081]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

9 CFR Parts 300, 441, 530, 531, 532, 533, 534, 537, 539, 540, 541, 
544, 548, 550, 552, 555, 557, 559, 560, and 561

[Docket No. FSIS-2016-0009]


Educational Meetings on the Final Rule on Mandatory Inspection of 
Fish of the Order Siluriformes and Products Derived From Such Fish; 
Educational Meetings for Importers Inspection

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notification of educational meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing a 
series of educational meetings to discuss the Final Rule, FSIS Docket 
No. FSIS-2008-0031, ``Mandatory Inspection of Fish of the Order 
Siluriformes and Products Derived from Such Fish,'' as it pertains to 
importers. The meetings are scheduled for March 2016.

DATES: The meetings are scheduled as follows:
     The first meeting will be held in Newark, NJ on Tuesday, 
March 3, 2016; 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. ET, at the Rutgers University--
Newark, School of Public Affairs, The Great Hall, 15 Washington Street, 
Newark, NJ 07102. For directions and parking instructions please visit: 
https://www.newark.rutgers.edu/directions-and-parking.
     The second meeting will be held in Los Angeles, CA on 
Tuesday, March 17, 2016; 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. PT, at the Hilton Los 
Angeles Airport, 5711 W. Century Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90045.
     The third meeting will be held in Houston, TX on Tuesday, 
March 24, 2016; 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. CT, at the Hilton Houston North, 
12400 Greenspoint Drive, Houston, TX 77060.
    If there is sufficient interest, meetings may also be held in 
Miami, FL and Norfolk, VA. The objective of the meetings is to provide 
information to importers on bringing Siluriformes fish and fish 
products into the United States. Further information on these meetings 
will be posted on the FSIS Web site at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/meetings and through the FSIS Constituent Update.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Evelyn Gomez, Office of Outreach, 
Employee Education and Training, (202) 418-8903 or email at 
[email protected], regarding additional information about this 
meeting or to arrange for special accommodations. The final rule may be 
accessed from the FSIS Web site at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/regulations/federal-register/interim-and-final-rules.
    Registration: To pre-register for the meetings, including Miami, FL 
and Norfolk, VA, please go to http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/meetings. The cutoff dates for pre-registration are as 
follows:

 Newark, NJ: Tuesday, March 1, 2016
 Los Angeles, CA: Tuesday, March 15, 2016
 Houston, TX: Tuesday, March 22, 2016
 Miami, FL and Norfolk, VA: Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Questions regarding the mandatory inspection of fish of the order 
Siluriformes and products derived from such fish may be directed to 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On December 2, 2015 (80 FR 75590), FSIS published the final rule to 
establish a mandatory inspection program for fish of the order 
Siluriformes and products derived from these fish. The final 
regulations implement the provisions of the 2008 and 2014 Farm Bills, 
which amended the Federal Meat Inspection Act, mandating FSIS 
inspection of Siluriformes fish and fish products.
    On March 1, 2016, the final rule on Siluriformes fish and fish 
products goes into effect. By this date, foreign countries seeking to 
continue exporting Siluriformes fish and fish products to the United 
States during an 18-month transitional period are required to submit 
documentation showing that they have laws or other legal measures in 
place that provide authority to regulate the growing and processing of 
fish for human food and to assure compliance with the United States 
Department of Health and Human Services' Food and Drug Administration 
(FDA) regulatory requirements in 21 CFR 123, Fish and Fishery Products. 
The foreign countries are also required to submit lists of 
establishments that currently export and will continue to export 
Siluriformes fish and fish products to the United States.
    Foreign countries seeking to continue to export Siluriformes fish 
and fish products to the United States after the transitional period 
has expired are required to submit to FSIS, by September 1, 2017, 
adequate documentation showing the equivalence of their Siluriformes 
inspection systems with that of the United States. Foreign countries 
submitting such documentation by the deadline are permitted to continue 
exporting Siluriformes fish and fish products to the United States 
while FSIS undertakes an evaluation as to equivalency.
    The purpose of the educational meetings for importers is to provide 
information on the final rule's requirements, with a primary focus on 
the process for importing Siluriformes fish and fish products into the 
United States during the 18-month transitional period and on the date 
of full enforcement. Other topics presented will include the labeling 
requirements for imported Siluriformes fish and fish products, the FSIS 
sampling of these imported products, and the enforcement of the 
requirements.
    For more information on the mandatory inspection of Siluriformes 
fish and fish products, visit the FSIS Web site: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/inspection/siluriformes.

Register

    Those planning to attend the meetings are invited to pre-register. 
To pre-register for any of the meetings, including Miami, FL and 
Norfolk, VA, please go to [email protected]. Persons 
requiring sign language accommodations should contact Ms.

[[Page 9082]]

Evelyn Gomez 15 business days prior to the meeting.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal 
Register publication on-line through the FSIS Web page located at: 
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register.
    FSIS also will make copies of this publication available through 
the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide information 
regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal Register 
notices, FSIS public meetings, and other types of information that 
could affect or would be of interest to our constituents and 
stakeholders. The Update is available on the FSIS Web page. Through the 
Web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a much broader, more 
diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an email subscription 
service which provides automatic and customized access to selected food 
safety news and information. This service is available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe. Options range from recalls to export 
information, regulations, directives, and notices. Customers can add or 
delete subscriptions themselves, and have the option to password 
protect their accounts.

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

    No agency, officer, or employee of the USDA shall, on the grounds 
of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual 
orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, 
income derived from a public assistance program, or political beliefs, 
exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject to 
discrimination any person in the United States under any program or 
activity conducted by the USDA.

How To File a Complaint of Discrimination

    To file a complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program 
Discrimination Complaint Form, which may be accessed online at http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you or your 
authorized representative.
    Send your completed complaint form or letter to USDA by mail, fax, 
or email:
    Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of 
Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410.
    Fax: (202) 690-7442.
    Email: [email protected].
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 
communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), should contact 
USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

    Done at Washington, DC on: February 18, 2016.
Alfred V. Almanza,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2016-03727 Filed 2-23-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P