Thank you for your email regarding hunter-harvested wild game birds from Canada. The United Stated Department of Agriculture's ( USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) apologizes for the delay in response and for any inconvenience our decisions may have caused you. As you are aware, on September 2, 2022, USDA APHIS issued a stakeholder alert implementing restrictions on hunter harvested wild bird meat/carcasses from all of Canada, regardless of province, due to the risk of transmitting highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). HPAI is an extremely infectious poultry disease spreading throughout North America, primarily by wild birds. APHIS regulations implement strict import controls to prevent HPAI introductions resulting from people transporting contaminated wildlife meat, carcasses, and trophies into the United States, thus the reason for the restriction. APHIS understands the timing of this alert was problematic for hunters planning on traveling to Canada, but the safety of our agricultural industry is our top priority.
APHIS has been working diligently with Canada, our internal and external stakeholders, and the public to have a plan that would allow for hunter-harvested wild game bird carcasses from Canada into the United States while ensuring we reduce the United States risk to highly pathogenic avian influenza. We are pleased to announce that effective September 12, APHIS will allow importation as outlined below. These conditions will be required for all game birds as per our federal regulations which includes migratory birds, certain ducks, geese, pigeons, and doves, free-flying quail, wild grouse, and wild pheasants (as opposed to those that are commercial, domestic, or pen-raised).
Effective September 12:
Unprocessed hunter-harvested wild game bird carcasses, originating from or transiting Canada, must meet following conditions:
* Viscera, head, neck, feet, skin, and one wing have been removed; and
* Feathers have been removed, with the exception of one wing - as required by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for species identification; and
* Carcasses must be rinsed in fresh, clean, potable water prior to packaging and must not have visible evidence of contamination with dirt, blood, or feces; and
* Carcasses must be imported in leak-proof plastic packaging and stored in a leak proof cooler or container during transport and import; and
* Carcasses must be chilled or frozen during transport and import.
* APHIS further recommends that boots and any equipment used to process the carcasses should be clean and visibly free from dirt, blood, tissue, and feces.
Please also note that cooked or cured meat and meat products (for example, sausage, jerky, pastrami, etc.) will not be allowed import as U.S. FWS requirements cannot be met to identify the species of wild bird.
APHIS also requires that hunter-harvested wild game bird trophies must be fully finished and have been professionally cleaned (free of dirt, blood, insects, putrid odors, etc.) and professionally prepared (stuffed and/or mounted) for the purpose of personal exhibition or accompanied by a VS import permit, or consigned directly to a USDA Approved Establishment.
If you have any more question or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at 301-851-3300 or send an email to APIE@usda.gov.
Thanks again for your patience with APHIS and our support of the wild game bird hunting community.
Lisa M. Dixon, DVM, MPH
Director, Animal Product Imports
USDA APHIS VS Strategy and Policy
4700 River Road
Riverdale, MD 20737
301-851-3373 office
301-278-2528 cell
lisa.m.dixon@usda.gov
