On December 1, 2010, the House passed the Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act (S. 1421), which was passed by the Senate on November 17, 2010. The bill would amend the Lacey Act to add the bighead carp of the species Hypophthalmichthys nobilis to the list of injurious species that are prohibited from being shipped or imported into the U.S. (See ITT's Online Archives or 11/18/10 news, 10111805, for BP summary of Senate passage of S. 1421.)
On November 30, 2010, the House is scheduled to consider Senate-passed S. 1421, the Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act. S. 1421, which was passed by the Senate on November 17, 2010. The bill would amend the Lacey Act to add the bighead carp of the species Hypophthalmichthys nobilis to the list of injurious species that are prohibited from being shipped or imported into the U.S.
The Justice Department announced that a Massachusetts man was convicted on November 19, 2010 of seven felonies related to the illegal importation and illegal trafficking of sperm whale teeth and narwhal tusks.
According to APHIS officials, including those that attended the November 9, 2010 COAC meeting, the draft report to Congress on the 2008 Lacey Act Amendments (including the declaration for imported plants and plant products1) is undergoing interagency review. As of early November, the draft was awaiting Department of Justice (DOJ) comments.
On November 9, 2010, the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Related Homeland Security Functions (COAC) met in Washington, DC to discuss a variety of trade issues.
On October 27, 2010, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and International Trade Data System officials held a webinar providing an update on the status of the Automated Commercial Environment.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is reopening the comment period on its August 2010 proposed rule to define the terms “common cultivar” and “common food crop,” which are among the categorical exemptions to requirements of the Lacey Act, as amended (Act).
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has announced its intention to request a three-year extension of approval of the information collection required by the Lacey Act for the importation of certain plants and plant products.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora has issued a press release announcing that the governments of Bolivia, the Russian Federation and Seychelles have requested that CITES list seven new species in CITES Appendix III, including high value timber species.
On October 15, 2010, APHIS updated its CITES I-II-III Timber Species Manual. This Manual provides CBP and PPQ personnel with guidelines for the import, re-export, violation, seizure, and forfeiture of CITES Appendix I, Appendix II, and Appendix III protected timber species, and is useful for those regulated by the Lacey Act Amendments. (See ITT's Online Archives or 10/12/10 news, 10100835, for more detailed summary of an earlier October update.)