WHEREAS, based on the official report submitted to the Office International des Epizooties (OlE) by Dr. Toshiro Kawashima, Chief Veterinary Officer and Director of Animal Health Division Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau, MAFF; Japan has reported self-declaration of freedom from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI);

WHEREAS, since the first outbreak in Shimane prefecture on November 2010, a total of 24 outbreaks were confirmed among poultry farms and during all the outbreaks, control measures including stamping out of the poultry affected farms and movement restriction zones were implemented;

WHEREAS, the last reported outbreak in Chiba prefecture, all control measures were completed on March 24, 2011;

WHEREAS, in compliance with Article 10.4.3.2, Chapter 10.4 (avian influenza) of the OlE Terrestrial Animal Health Code, Japan is now free of HPAI;

WHEREAS, based on the evaluation of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), the risk of contamination from importing poultry and poultry products from Japan is negligible;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, PROCESO J. ALCALA, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, by the powers vested in me by law, do hereby lift the temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds and their products including poultry meat, day old chicks, eggs and semen originating from Japan.

All import transactions of the above products shall be in accordance with the existing rules and regulations of the Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Industry and National Meat Inspection Service (DA-BAI-NMIS).

All orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this order, are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

This ORDER shall take effect immediately.


Adopted: 18 July 2011


(SGD.) PROCESO J. ALCALA
Secretary