The United States and Canada have issued a joint bulletin  regarding the very high number of ships detected with Asian gypsy moth (AGM) live egg masses recently at ports-of-entry.

Vessels calling on ports in Canada and the United States must be free of Asian gypsy moth.It is administered by the United States (US) Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to prevent the introduction of the AGM into the US and Canada.

The AGM interception season on commercial vessels at US and Canadian ports concerns vessels that have called on ports in the People’s Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Japan and Far East Russia anytime during the period of of May through September. If any AGM are found on a vessel, the authorities may:

 Refuse the vessel entry into the US or Canadian waters;
 Order the vessel into international waters;
 Require the vessel to undergo pest control treatment; and
 Require re-inspection of the vessel after undergoing pest control treatment.

This applies to vessel arriving in a US or Canadian port from a foreign port between 24 and 60 degrees North Latitude (Far East Russia, Japan, People’s Republic of China and Republic of Korea).

However, vessels coming from the following specific ports and prefectures in those areas are considered high risk:

1.Russia Far East:Nakhodka, Ol’ga, Plastun, Pos’yet, Russkiy Island, Slavyanka, Vanino, Vladivostok Vostochny, Zarubino, Kozmino

2.People’s Republic of China :All ports in northern China, including all ports north of Shanghai

3.Republic of Korea :All ports

4.Japan – Northern :Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima
Japan – Western :Akita, Yamagata, Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa
Japan – Eastern :Fukui, Ibaraki, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Shizuoka, Aichi, Mie
Japan – Southern:Wakayama, Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Kagawa, Tokushima, Ehime, Kochi,
Fukuoka, Oita, Saga, Nagasaki, Miyazaki, Kumamoto, Kagoshima

Japan – Far Southern :Okinawa

For vessels that are covered by the AGM inspection program, US and Canadian authorities require the following three actions to be taken as outlined below:

1.CERTIFICATION: Vessels are to obtain pre-departure certification and forward a copy of the certification that the vessel is free of AGM life stages to their US or Canadian agents. The inspections should be performed as close to departure time from the regulated port as possible.

2.SELF-INSPECTION: Shipping lines should perform intensive vessel self-inspection to look for, remove (scrape off) and properly destroy all egg masses and other life stages of AGM prior to entering US and Canadian ports to avoid facing inspection delays, re-routing and other potential impacts associated with mitigating the risk on entry to North America.

3.VOYAGE MEMO: At least two (2) days prior to the vessel’s arrival forward to the agent a copy of the vessel’s voyage memo in order that agents may provide to the local US and Canadian inspectors an opportunity to review the vessel’s history of ports and dates.

The Master of a marine vessel that has visited port(s) in regulated areas during specified periods listed in the below table in the current year or in the year immediately preceding the current year must provide to the vessel’s Canadian agent:

•    a summary of the ports called upon by the vessel for the past 2 years; and
•    a copy of a Phytosanitary Certificate or other approved certificate(s)

Click here to read the CFIA USDA Joint memo and here to download AGM vessel inspection with photos included.

Useful websites are as follows:

APHIS:http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/gypsy_moth/index.shtml

CFIA: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/plants/plant-protection/insects/gypsy-moth/asian-gypsy-moth/eng/1330353359964/1330353499535

Asian Gypsy Moth: http://www.asiangypsymoth.org/

http://www.cosbc.ca/index.phpoption=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=79&Itemid=72

Source: ukpandi , marshall islands registry