```

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 212 (Friday, November 3, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 75538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-24347]

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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2023-0068]

Addition of Belarus 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 Belarus to the list 
of regions that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
considers to be affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). 
This action follows our imposition of HPAI-related restrictions on 
avian commodities originating from or transiting Belarus, as a result 
of reports of HPAI in that country.

DATES: Belarus was added to the list of regions APHIS considers to be 
affected with HPAI, effective on August 22, 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 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 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On August 22, 2023, APHIS added Belarus to the list of regions 
where HPAI exists based on credible media and interagency reports of 
HPAI outbreaks in poultry in Belarus. 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 Belarus to mitigate risk of HPAI introduction 
into the United States.
    With the publication of this notice, we are informing the public 
that we added Belarus to the list of regions APHIS considers affected 
with HPAI of any subtype, effective August 22, 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.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 30th day of October 2023.
Michael Watson,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-24347 Filed 11-2-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
```