Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 204 / Tuesday, October 24, 2023 / Notices 72989 

1The 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. 

information/animal-health-status-ofregions/. This list is referenced in 

§ 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 § 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 

§ 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 

§ 94.8(a). 

On May 18, 2022, the veterinary 

authorities of the Federal Democratic 

Republic of Nepal reported to WOAH 

the occurrence of ASF in that country. 

In response to that report, on May 23, 

2022, APHIS added the Federal 

Democratic Republic of Nepal to the list 

of regions where ASF exists or the 

Administrator has reason to believe that 

ASF exists, in compliance with 

§ 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 Nepal, including casings, are 

subject to APHIS import restrictions 

designed to mitigate the risk of ASF 

introduction into the United States. 

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 17th day of 

October 2023. 

Michael Watson, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–23483 Filed 10–23–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2023–0076] 

Notice of Request for Approval of an 

Information Collection; 

Comprehensive Aquaculture Health 

Program; Use of MI–CO Application 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: New information collection; 

comment request. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service’s intention to 

request approval of a new information 

collection associated with the use of a 

mobile application to collect certain 

information needed to manage a 

comprehensive aquaculture health 

program. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before December 

26, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

www.regulations.gov. Enter APHIS– 

2023–0076 in the Search field. Select 

the Documents tab, then select the 

Comment button in the list of 

documents. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2023–0076, Regulatory Analysis 

and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 

3A–03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. 

Supporting documents and any 

comments we receive on this docket 

may be viewed at regulations.gov or in 

our reading room, which is located in 

room 1620 of the USDA South Building, 

14th Street and Independence Avenue 

SW, Washington, DC. Normal reading 

room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 

Monday through Friday, except 

holidays. To be sure someone is there to 

help you, please call (202) 799–7039 

before coming. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

information on the Comprehensive 

Aquaculture Health Program, contact 

Dr. Kathleen Hartman, Senior 

Veterinarian, Aquaculture Health, VS, 

APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 39, 

Riverdale, MD 20737; (813) 671–5230 

ext. 119; email: kathleen.h.hartman@

usda.gov. For more information about 

the information collection process, 

contact Mr. Joseph Moxey, APHIS’ 

Paperwork Reduction Act Coordinator, 

at (301) 851–2483; email: 

joseph.moxey@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: 

Comprehensive Aquaculture Health 

Program; Use of MI–CO Application. 

OMB Control Number: 0579–XXXX. 

Type of Request: Approval of a new 

information collection. 

Abstract: The U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS), 

Veterinary Services (VS) unit is 

responsible for, among other things, 

protecting the health of the nation’s 

aquatic livestock and supporting safe 

trade of those animals and their 

products. This authority is provided 

under the Animal Health Protection Act 

(7 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.). Further, 

Executive Order 13921, Promoting 

American Seafood Competitiveness and 

Economic Growth, rescinded the 2008 

National Aquatic Animal Health Plan, 

and authorized a new national 

aquaculture health plan establishing 

USDA as the competent authority for 

the protection, inspection, and 

certification of aquatic livestock health. 

The National Aquaculture Health Plan 

and Standards (NAHPS) provides 

guidance for pathogen testing, reporting, 

and laboratory standards in addition to 

outlining health inspection options for 

aquatic livestock. One of these 

inspection options is the 

Comprehensive Aquaculture Health 

Program Standards (CAHPS). CAHPS 

was developed in partnership with the 

U.S. aquaculture industry as a voluntary 

program that establishes a framework to 

improve and verify the health of aquatic 

livestock produced in the United States. 

Principles outlined in the CAHPS 

provide for early disease detection, 

surveillance, risk mitigation, reporting, 

and response for the control of aquatic 

animal pathogens, especially those 

reportable to the World Organization for 

Animal Health (WOAH), and to prevent 

their dissemination via aquatic animal 

sale, movement, and trade. 

VS and its CAHPS/aquaculture 

industry affiliates will use a mobile 

application provided through the MICorporation (MI–CO) to carry out 

CAHPS functions and evaluate and 

verify aquatic livestock health on 

premises. The application uses a MI–CO 

platform for a server/client-based 

mobile application that supports data 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
72990 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 204 / Tuesday, October 24, 2023 / Notices 

collection using forms that can be 

deployed to a mobile device, like a 

smartphone or tablet, and used in an 

internet-connected or disconnected 

environment. CAHPS participants will 

use the application to collect general 

participant and aquatic health team 

information; assess the risk of incursion 

and spread of aquatic pathogens of 

concern; carry out disease detection and 

surveillance and report laboratory test 

results; report any disease outbreaks and 

presence of pathogens of concern; and 

document outbreak response and 

recovery via surveillance and response 

plans. Participants can also log outbreak 

communication plans and biosecurity 

plans using the application and use a 

CAHPS Workbook as a template for 

CAHPS work. 

The MI–CO app will retain 

information from inspection to 

inspection. VS will update participants’ 

information annually. VS will not 

physically collect or remove from the 

premises any of the documentation 

unless the participant gives express 

permission to attach documents to their 

CAHPS portfolio in the app. VS 

personnel will annually review and 

enter information for every CAHPS 

participant to support compliance with 

CAHPS. 

We are asking Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) to approve our use 

of these information collection activities 

for 3 years. 

The purpose of this notice is to solicit 

comments from the public (as well as 

affected agencies) concerning our 

information collection. These comments 

will help us: 

(1) Evaluate whether the collection of

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

Agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of our

estimate of the burden of the collection 

of information, including the validity of 

the methodology and assumptions used; 

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and 

(4) Minimize the burden of the

collection of information on those who 

are to respond, through use, as 

appropriate, of automated, electronic, 

mechanical, and other collection 

technologies; e.g., permitting electronic 

submission of responses. 

Estimate of burden: The public 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 0.96 hours per 

response. 

Respondents: U.S. aquaculture 

producers and industry representatives. 

Estimated annual number of 

respondents: 30. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses per respondent: 13. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses: 395. 

Estimated total annual burden on 

respondents: 378 hours. (Due to 

averaging, the total annual burden hours 

may not equal the product of the annual 

number of responses multiplied by the 

reporting burden per response.) 

All responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for OMB approval. All comments will 

also become a matter of public record. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 17th day of 

October 2023. 

Michael Watson, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–23484 Filed 10–23–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2023–0072] 

Notice of Request for Revision to and 

Extension of Approval of an 

Information Collection; Importation of 

Animals and Poultry, Animal and 

Poultry Products, Certain Animal 

Embryos, Semen, and Zoological 

Animals 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Revision to and extension of 

approval of an information collection; 

comment request. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service’s intention to 

request a revision to and extension of 

approval of an information collection 

associated with the importation of 

animals and poultry, animal and poultry 

products, certain animal embryos, 

semen, and zoological animals. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before December 

26, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to

www.regulations.gov. Enter APHIS– 

2023–0072 in the Search field. Select 

the Documents tab, then select the 

Comment button in the list of 

documents. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery:

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2023–0072, Regulatory Analysis 

and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 

3A–03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. 

Supporting documents and any 

comments we receive on this docket 

may be viewed at regulations.gov or in 

our reading room, which is located in 

Room 1620 of the USDA South 

Building, 14th Street and Independence 

Avenue SW, Washington, DC. Normal 

reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 

p.m., Monday through Friday, except

holidays. To be sure someone is there to

help you, please call (202) 799–7039

before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

information on animals and poultry,

animal and poultry products, certain

animal embryos, and zoological

animals, contact Dr. Alexandra

MacKenzie, Senior Veterinary Medical

Officer, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road,

Unit 39, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301)

851–3411; alexandra.mackenzie@

usda.gov. For more information about

the information collection process,

contact Mr. Joseph Moxey, APHIS’

Paperwork Reduction Act Coordinator,

at (301) 851–2483.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Importation of Animals and 

Poultry, Animal and Poultry Products, 

Certain Animal Embryos, Semen, and 

Zoological Animals. 

OMB Control Number: 0579–0040. 

Type of Request: Revision to and 

extension of approval of an information 

collection. 

Abstract: Under the Animal Health 

Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.), 

the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service (APHIS) of the United States 

Department of Agriculture (USDA) is 

authorized, among other things, to 

prohibit or restrict the importation of 

animals, animal products, and other 

articles into the United States to prevent 

the introduction of animal diseases and 

pests. Disease prevention is the most 

effective method for maintaining a 

healthy animal population and for 

enhancing APHIS’ ability to compete in 

the world market of animal and animal 

product trade. 

Among other things, APHIS’ 

Veterinary Services is responsible for 

preventing the introduction of foreign or 

certain other communicable animal 

diseases into the United States and for 

rapidly identifying, containing, 

eradicating, or otherwise mitigating 

such diseases when feasible. In 

connection with this mission, APHIS 

collects information from individuals, 

businesses, and farms that are involved 

with importation of animals or poultry, 

animal or poultry products, or animal 

germplasm (semen, oocytes, embryos, 

and cloning tissues, as well as eggs for 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1