February 3, 2021
CFIA Announces New Gypsy Moth Measures
New regulations take effect March 22, 2021
The following passage is from recent correspondence between CNLA and a CFIA official:
"The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is facing major challenges this year in the control of gypsy moth moving out of regulated areas. This is due to both the increased pest pressure resulting from the 2020 outbreak in Ontario as well as recent reports of infested nursery stock moving to non-regulated areas in Canada and the United States.
In order to protect Canada’s plant resource base and access to export markets in the United States, the CFIA is implementing interim measures to help prevent the movement of gypsy moth on host nursery stock for the 2021 shipping season. Gypsy moth host nursery stock is considered to be all woody trees and shrubs, however egg masses may be found in protected areas on almost any surface, including tree bark, containers, and burlap.
Effective Monday March 22, any facility that is located in an area regulated for gypsy moth - or is under regulatory control for an incursion of gypsy moth outside of the regulated area – and that wishes to move host nursery stock to non-regulated areas in either Canada or the United States will be required to complete and submit the attached interim compliance agreement (CA) or an equivalent preventive control plan (PCP) to their local CFIA office. The CA must be submitted and approved before impacted material will be certified for domestic movement or export. French and English versions of the CA are attached to this message.
This CA outlines a number of enhanced inspection, monitoring, and reporting activities designed to better mitigate the risk of moving gypsy moth on or with host nursery stock. Other risk mitigation measures, such as an appropriate treatment program or a Canadian Nursery Certification Program (CNCP) module, may also be evaluated on a case by case basis. A full program review and update is underway and expected to be ready for consultation by early summer 2021.
I am sending this to you today as a courtesy ‘heads up’. Additional information in both official languages will be distributed through formal communication channels early the week of March 15, 2021. In the meantime, I would appreciate if you could share this information on the upcoming changes with any of your members that may be impacted.
We recognize that the timing of this announcement is very inconvenient given how busy spring is for nursery producers but these enhanced measures are necessary to help ensure that infested plants are not moved to non-regulated areas."