[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 228 (Wednesday, November 29, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83379-83380]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-26228]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2023-0047]


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

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we added Bolivia to the list 
of regions that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
considers to be affected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). 
This action follows our imposition of HPAI-related restrictions on the 
importation of avian commodities originating from or transiting Bolivia 
as a result of the confirmation of HPAI in that country.

DATES: Bolivia was added to the list of regions APHIS considers to be 
affected with HPAI, effective on February 2, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. La'Toya Lane, Regionalization 
Evaluation Services, Strategy and Policy, VS, 4700 River Road, 
Riverdale, MD 20737; phone: (301) 550-1671; 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 list of 
restricted regions it considers to be 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 
(WOAH) \1\ or from other sources the Administrator determines to be 
reliable.
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    \1\ The World Organization for Animal Health internationally 
follows a British English spelling of ``organization'' in its name; 
also, it was formerly the Office International des Epizooties, or 
OIE, but on May 28, 2022, the Organization announced that the 
acronym was changed from OIE to WOAH.
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    On January 31, 2023, the veterinary authorities of Bolivia reported 
to WOAH an HPAI occurrence in that country. On February 2, 2023, after 
confirming that HPAI occurred in commercial birds or poultry, APHIS 
added Bolivia to the list of regions where HPAI exists. On that same 
day, APHIS issued an import alert notifying stakeholders that APHIS 
imposed restrictions on the importation of poultry, commercial birds, 
ratites, avian hatching eggs, unprocessed avian products and 
byproducts, and certain fresh poultry commodities from Bolivia to 
mitigate risk of HPAI introduction into the United States.
    With the publication of this notice, we are informing the public 
that we added Bolivia to the list of regions APHIS considers to be 
affected with HPAI of any subtype, effective February 2, 2023. 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.


[[Page 83380]]


    Done in Washington, DC, this 24th day of November 2023.
Michael Watson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-26228 Filed 11-28-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P