[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 234 (Thursday, December 7, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 85207]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-26865]



[[Page 85207]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2023-0071]


Addition of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo 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 Bosnia and 
Herzegovina and Kosovo to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) list maintained on the APHIS website of regions 
considered to be affected with African swine fever (ASF). We have taken 
this action because of the confirmation of ASF in those countries.

DATES: Bosnia and Herzegovina was added to the APHIS list of regions 
considered affected with ASF effective June 26, 2023. Kosovo was added 
to the APHIS list of regions considered affected with ASF effective 
August 7, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Heather Sriranganathan, APHIS 
Veterinary Services, Regionalization Evaluation Services, 4700 River 
Road, Riverdale, MD, 20747; phone: (717) 818-3582; email: 
[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 African swine fever (ASF). 
ASF is a highly contagious disease of wild and domestic swine that can 
spread rapidly 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) 
website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-and-animal-product-import-information/animal-health-status-of-regions/. This list is referenced in Sec.  94.8(a)(2) of the 
regulations.
    Section 94.8(a)(3) of the regulations states that APHIS will add a 
region to the list referenced in Sec.  94.8(a)(2) upon determining ASF 
exists in the region or having reason to believe the disease exists in 
the region, based on reports APHIS receives of outbreaks of the disease 
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, or upon determining that there 
is reason to believe the disease exists in the region. Section 
94.8(a)(1) of the regulations specifies the criteria on which the 
Administrator bases the reason to believe ASF exists in a region. 
Section 94.8(b) prohibits the importation of pork and pork products 
from regions listed in accordance with Sec.  94.8 except if processed 
and treated in accordance with the provisions specified in that section 
or consigned to an APHIS-approved establishment for further processing. 
Section 96.2 restricts the importation of swine casings that originated 
in or were processed in a region where ASF exists, as listed under 
Sec.  94.8(a).
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    \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, but on May 28, 2022, the Organization announced that the 
acronym was changed from OIE to WOAH.
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    On June 22, 2023, the veterinary authorities of Bosnia and 
Herzegovina reported to WOAH the occurrence of ASF in that country. In 
response to that report, on June 26, 2023, APHIS added Bosnia and 
Herzegovina to the list of regions where ASF exists or the 
Administrator has reason to believe that ASF exists, in compliance with 
Sec.  94.8(a)(3). This notice serves as an official record and public 
notification of that action.
    On July 17, 2023, the veterinary authorities of Kosovo reported to 
the European Commission the confirmation of ASF in that country. In 
response to the European Union's Animal Diseases Information System 
report, on August 7, 2023, APHIS added Kosovo to the list of regions 
where ASF exists or the Administrator has reason to believe that ASF 
exists, in compliance with Sec.  94.8(a)(3). This notice serves as an 
official record and public notification of that action.
    As a result, pork and pork products from Bosnia and Herzegovina and 
Kosovo, including casings, are subject to APHIS import restrictions 
designed to mitigate the risk of ASF introduction into the United 
States.
    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 1st day of December 2023.
Michael Watson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-26865 Filed 12-6-23; 8:45 am]
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