Taking emergency action for suspect Asian Gypsy Moth (AGM) ships

Invasive species

Published: 29 March 2006

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine Office (PPQ) has published the attached guide.

The purpose of the emergency action is to prevent the artificial spread of Asian Gypsy Moth (AGM), Lymantria dispar, from high-risk areas including Far East Russian and Japanese ports where AGM populations are at high densities. Inspection and exclusion of contaminated ships will prevent the artificial spread of AGM.

APHIS asks shipping interests not to charter ships that called at Far East Russian or identified high-risk Japanese ports during the egg laying period for voyages that would put the ships in U.S. or Canadian ports during the high-risk egg hatching period. Any ship that arrives during this period that is found infested will be ordered to leave U.S. waters immediately.

For more information, please see the guide.