Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has updated the Pest Risk Management document (RMD-19-02). Tomicus piniperda (pine shoot beetle) no longer meets the definition of a quarantine pest, according to ISPM 5. In addition, review of the regulatory approach to this pest, as outlined in Section 5.3 of this document, concludes that continued regulation will likely not provide any economic benefit.
Therefore, CFIA will be deregulating pine shoot beetle. As a result, the CFIA will no longer enforce the import regulations that apply to pine shoot beetle host material from the continental United States. Additionally, the CFIA will not be enforcing the part of Schedule II (2) of the Plant Protection Regulations (PPR) that pertains to the domestic movement restriction of pine shoot beetle infested material. The United States has also decided to deregulate pine shoot beetle, resulting in the removal of domestic regulations, in addition to import restrictions that apply to the importation of pine shoot beetle host material from Canada.
The implementation of the deregulation of pine shoot beetle will require that relevant plant health import directives be amended to remove reference to requirements for freedom from pine shoot beetle, or revoked. The Automated Import Reference System (AIRS) will also be updated to reflect the deregulation of pine shoot beetle.
The CFIA will also work towards the removal of pine shoot beetle from the List of pests regulated by Canada, and Schedule II (2) of the Plant Protection Regulations.
Contact CFIA if you have questions or concerns.