On September 9, the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service published an interim rule in the
Federal Register to restrict the interstate movement and importation
into the United States of live fish that are susceptible to viral
hemorrhagic septicemia.
Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) is a highly contagious disease
of certain freshwater and saltwater fish, caused by a rhabdovirus.
That interim rule was scheduled to
become effective on November 10, 2008, but was later delayed. Now APHIS have decided to delay the rule indefinitely.
The reason for these delays has come from comments received by APHIS in response to the proposed rule which highlighted a variety of issues, including the feasibility of implementing certain requirements.
"We are now delaying the effective date of the interim rule
indefinitely to provide APHIS with time to make some adjustments to the
interim rule that are necessary for the rule to be successfully
implemented", an APHIS report said.
Interstate Fish Restrictions Delayed Indefinitely
US - Proposed restrictions on the movement of fish susceptible to viral hemorrhagic septicemia in the United States has been delayed indefinitely.
