[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 199 (Tuesday, October 19, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 57802]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-22773]


 ========================================================================
 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
 appearing in this section.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 199 / Tuesday, October 19, 2021 / 
Notices  

[[Page 57802]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2021-0033]


Addition of the Republic of Mali to the List of Regions Affected 
With Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we added the Republic of Mali 
to the list of regions that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service considers to be affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza 
(HPAI). These actions follow our imposition of HPAI-related 
restrictions on avian commodities originating from or transiting the 
Republic of Mali, as a result of the confirmation of HPAI in the 
Republic of Mali.

DATES: The Republic of Mali was added to the list of regions APHIS 
considers to be affected with HPAI on April 22, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information regarding HPAI 
in the Republic of Mali, contact Dr. Michael T. Ray, Regionalization 
Evaluation Services, Strategy and Policy, APHIS Veterinary Services, 
920 Main Campus Drive, Venture II, Raleigh, NC 27606; phone: (919) 855-
7225; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 9 CFR part 94 (referred 
to below as the regulations) govern the importation of certain animals 
and animal products into the United States to prevent the introduction 
of various animal diseases, including Newcastle disease and highly 
pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The regulations prohibit or restrict 
the importation of live poultry, poultry meat, and other poultry 
products from regions where these diseases are considered to exist.
    Section 94.6 of the regulations contains requirements governing the 
importation into the United States of carcasses, meat, parts or 
products of carcasses, and eggs (other than hatching eggs) of poultry, 
game birds, or other birds from regions of the world where HPAI exists 
or is reasonably believed to exist. HPAI is an extremely infectious and 
potentially fatal form of avian influenza in birds and poultry that, 
once established, can spread rapidly from flock to flock. The Animal 
and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) maintains a restrictions 
list of regions it considers affected with HPAI of any subtype on the 
APHIS website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-and-animal-product-import-information/animal-health-status-of-regions.
    APHIS receives notice of HPAI outbreaks from veterinary officials 
of the exporting country, from the World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE),\1\ or from other sources the Administrator determines to be 
reliable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The World Organization for Animal Health internationally 
follows a British English spelling of ``organisation' in its name; 
also, it was formerly the Office International des Epizooties, or 
OIE, an acronym still in usage.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On April 15, 2021, the veterinary authorities of the Republic of 
Mali reported to the OIE an HPAI occurrence in that country. On April 
22, 2021, after confirming that the HPAI occurred in commercial birds 
or poultry, APHIS added the Republic of Mali to the list of regions 
where HPAI exists. On that same day, APHIS issued an import alert 
notifying stakeholders that effective April 1, 2021, APHIS imposed 
restrictions on the importation of poultry, commercial birds, other 
types of birds (research, performing), ratites, any avian hatching 
eggs, unprocessed avian products and byproducts, and certain fresh 
poultry products from the Republic of Mali to mitigate risk of HPAI 
introduction into the United States.
    With the publication of this notice, we are informing the public 
that we added the Republic of Mali to the list of regions APHIS 
considers affected with HPAI of any subtype, effective April 22, 2021. 
This notice serves as an official record and public notification of 
this action.

Congressional Review Act

    Pursuant to the Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), 
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs designated this action 
as not a major rule, as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1633, 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 14th day of October 2021.
Mark Davidson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-22773 Filed 10-18-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P