82 FR 39659 - Educational Meeting on the Mandatory Inspection of Fish of the Order Siluriformes and Products Derived From Such Fish Final Rule Implementation

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 161 (August 22, 2017)

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing an educational meeting to discuss the enforcement and implementation of the Final Rule, ``Mandatory Inspection of Fish of the Order Siluriformes and Products Derived from Such Fish.'' Fish of the order Siluriformes include fish of several families, including catfish (fish of the family Ictaluridae), basa, tra, and swai (fish of the family Pangasiidae), and clarias (fish of the Clariidae family). FSIS will present information on the upcoming full implementation of the regulatory requirements at official domestic establishments that process Siluriformes fish and fish products, as well as information on entry procedures and reinspection at official import inspection establishments. FSIS is particularly interested in soliciting participation from representatives from domestic wild-caught operations that process Siluriformes fish and fish products. The primary objectives of the meeting are to provide updated information to stakeholders and to encourage dialogue between FSIS and the Siluriformes fish industry. Affected industry and interested individuals, organizations, and other stakeholders are invited to participate in the meeting.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 161 (Tuesday, August 22, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 39659-39660]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-17757]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

9 CFR Parts 530, 531, 532, 533, 534, 537, 539, 540, 541, 544, 548, 
550, 552, 555, 557, 559, 560, and 561

[Docket No. FSIS-2017-0039]


Educational Meeting on the Mandatory Inspection of Fish of the 
Order Siluriformes and Products Derived From Such Fish Final Rule 
Implementation

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notification of educational meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing an 
educational meeting to discuss the enforcement and implementation of 
the Final Rule, ``Mandatory Inspection of Fish of the Order 
Siluriformes and Products Derived from Such Fish.'' Fish of the order 
Siluriformes include fish of several families, including catfish (fish 
of the family Ictaluridae), basa, tra, and swai (fish of the family 
Pangasiidae), and clarias (fish of the Clariidae family). FSIS will 
present information on the upcoming full implementation of the 
regulatory requirements at official domestic establishments that 
process Siluriformes fish and fish products, as well as information on 
entry procedures and reinspection at official import inspection 
establishments. FSIS is particularly interested in soliciting 
participation from representatives from domestic wild-caught operations 
that process Siluriformes fish and fish products.
    The primary objectives of the meeting are to provide updated 
information to stakeholders and to encourage dialogue between FSIS and 
the Siluriformes fish industry. Affected industry and interested 
individuals, organizations, and other stakeholders are invited to 
participate in the meeting.

DATES: The meeting will be held in Webster, FL on Friday, August 25, 
2017; 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. ET, at the Florida Bass Conservation Center, 
3583 CR 788, in Webster, FL. For directions and parking instructions, 
please visit: http://myfwc.com/media/244914/FBCC_rack_card08.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Evelyn Arce, Outreach and Partnership 
Division, Office of Outreach, Employee Education and Training, FSIS, 
1400 Independence Ave. SW., Mail Stop 3778, Washington, DC 20250; 
Telephone: (202) 418-8903; Fax: (202) 690-6519; Email: 
[email protected], regarding additional information about this 
meeting or to arrange for special accommodations.
    Questions regarding the mandatory inspection of fish of the order 
Siluriformes and products derived from such fish may be directed to 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Further information on these meetings will 
be posted on FSIS Web site at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/meetings and through the FSIS Constituent Update.
    The final rule may be accessed from the FSIS Web site at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/regulations/federal-register/interim-and-final-rules. Registration: To pre-register for the meeting, 
please go to http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/meetings.

Background

    On December 2, 2015, FSIS published the final rule to establish a 
mandatory inspection program for fish of the order Siluriformes and 
products derived from these fish (80 FR 75590). The final rule and 
other resources and information on Siluriformes fish can be found on 
the FSIS ``Inspection Program for Siluriformes Fish, Including 
Catfish'' Web page: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/inspection/siluriformes.
    The final rule was effective March 1, 2016; however, the Agency 
provided an 18-month transitional period until September 1, 2017, to 
give domestic establishments time to prepare and comply with the final 
regulations. The transitional period also provided foreign countries 
with time to submit the documentation necessary to continue exporting 
Siluriformes fish and fish products to the United States and to show 
that they have equivalent inspection systems.
    FSIS began inspecting domestic establishments on March 1, 2016, and 
began selecting imported Siluriformes fish shipments for reinspection 
on April 15, 2016. During the transitional period, FSIS inspection 
personnel have exercised broad discretion in enforcing the regulatory 
requirements, focusing primarily on preventing adulterated or 
misbranded Siluriformes fish and fish products from entering commerce.
    On August 2, 2017, to abide with direction from Congress, FSIS 
began reinspecting all imported Siluriformes fish and fish products. 
Specifically, the explanatory statement accompanying the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2017, Public Law 115-31 Stat. 135, enacted May 5, 
2017, directed FSIS to

[[Page 39660]]

immediately begin reinspecting all imported Siluriformes fish and fish 
product shipments https://www.congress.gov/crec/2017/05/03/CREC-2017-05-03-bk2.pdf). FSIS announced its intention to begin this reinspection 
in a Federal Register notice on July 3, 2017 (``Import Reinspection of 
Fish of the Order Siluriformes'' (82 FR 30721)).
    FSIS held a series of domestic and import educational meetings when 
the final rule initially published in December 2015. More recently, in 
June and July 2017, FSIS held additional educational meetings in 
Richmond, VA, and Baltimore, MD. Another educational meeting is 
scheduled for August 24, 2017, in Memphis, TN. FSIS has gained 
significant insight into the domestic and importing Siluriformes fish 
industries during the transitional period.
    FSIS is announcing this educational meeting to provide updates 
regarding full implementation of the regulatory requirements and to 
exchange information with operations that process wild-caught 
Siluriformes fish and fish products, and thus encourages 
representatives and parties involved in this industry to attend the 
educational meetings. The Agency is particularly interested in gaining 
additional insight into how the wild-caught Siluriformes fish arrive at 
processing facilities, where the wild-caught Siluriformes fish are 
sourced, daily production volume information for these facilities, and 
where the final Siluriformes fish and fish products are being sold or 
distributed after processing.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal 
Register publication on-line through the FSIS Web page located at: 
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register.
    FSIS also will make copies of this publication available through 
the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide information 
regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal Register 
notices, FSIS public meetings, and other types of information that 
could affect or would be of interest to our constituents and 
stakeholders. The Update is available on the FSIS Web page. Through the 
Web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a much broader, more 
diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an email subscription 
service which provides automatic and customized access to selected food 
safety news and information. This service is available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe. Options range from recalls to export 
information, regulations, directives, and notices. Customers can add or 
delete subscriptions themselves, and have the option to password 
protect their accounts.

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

    No agency, officer, or employee of the USDA shall, on the grounds 
of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual 
orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, 
income derived from a public assistance program, or political beliefs, 
exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject to 
discrimination any person in the United States under any program or 
activity conducted by the USDA.

How To File a Complaint of Discrimination

    To file a complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program 
Discrimination Complaint Form, which may be accessed online at http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you or your 
authorized representative.
    Send your completed complaint form or letter to USDA by mail, fax, 
or email: Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of 
Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410, 
Fax: (202) 690-7442, Email: [email protected].
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 
communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), should contact 
USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

    Done at Washington, DC, on: August 17, 2017.
Paul Kiecker,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2017-17757 Filed 8-21-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P