Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

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Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
APHIS.svg
APHIS emblem
Beagle Brigade - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture.jpg
The APHIS Beagle Brigade does an interception at Dulles
Agency overview
Formed1972 (1972) [1]
Preceding agencies
Jurisdiction US Federal
Headquarters4700 River Road, Riverdale, Md 20737
MottoHealthy and profitable American agriculture provides food and clothing for countless people worldwide and is a key pillar of our economy
Employees8,000 [3]
Annual budget$2.015 billion FY2021 [4]
Agency executive
  • Kevin Shea (since 2013) [5] , Administrator
Parent department United States Department of Agriculture
Child agencies
Website www.aphis.usda.gov
Investigative and Enforcement Services
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service - Investigative and Enforcement Services - badge.png

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) based in Riverdale, Maryland responsible for protecting animal health, animal welfare, and plant health. APHIS is the lead agency for collaboration with other agencies to protect U.S. agriculture from invasive pests and diseases. APHIS's PPQ is the National Plant Protection Organization for the U.S., [8] and the agency's head of veterinary services/veterinary Deputy Administrator is the Chief Veterinary Officer of the United States. [5]

Contents

History

APHIS was created in 1972 by Secretary's Memorandum No. 1769. [1]

The origins of the agency predate creation of USDA, to 1854 when the Office of Entomologist, Agricultural Section, U.S. Patent Office was created. It was the first of three agencies that eventually were merged to form APHIS. [2] In 1881, a Cattle Commission was created in the Department of the Treasury that three years later was transferred to USDA. [2] Plant quarantine functions followed in 1912 when USDA's Federal Horticultural Board was created. Between the 1880s and 1930s, these evolved into the USDA Bureaus of Entomology, of Animal Industry, and of Plant Quarantine, respectively. [2]

In 1953, those three bureaus were made into the new Agricultural Research Service. [1] In 1971, the animal and plant regulatory functions were separated from ARS to create a new entity known as Animal and Plant Health Services. In 1972, the meat and poultry inspection divisions of the Consumer and Marketing Service (later known as the Agricultural Marketing Service) were added to APHS, thus creating the contemporary APHIS. [9] [1]

In 2003, many APHIS agricultural border inspectors were transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a unit of the newly created U.S. Department of Homeland Security. [10]

APHIS is the primary agency responsible for responding to animal and plant disease(s) and pest emergencies as well as to other emergencies as set forth by the National Response Plan (NRP) completed in 2005 (APHIS Strategic Plan 2003–2008).[ citation needed ]

APHIS celebrated its 50th anniversary on April 2, 2022. [11]

Duties and responsibilities

APHIS agent assesses the airfield for birds at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan Bagram USDA Wildlife Services 110413-F-XA488-123.jpg
APHIS agent assesses the airfield for birds at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan
Wildlife Services (WS) field specialist sets a fox trap at the Barrow Steller's Eider Conservation Area in Alaska WS trapper setting fox trap.jpg
Wildlife Services (WS) field specialist sets a fox trap at the Barrow Steller's Eider Conservation Area in Alaska

The originally-stated purpose of APHIS is to “protect the animal and plant resources of the nation” and carry out “a poultry and meat inspection program.” [12] A more modern articulation of APHIS's mission is “protecting and promoting U.S. agricultural health, regulating genetically engineered organisms, administering the Animal Welfare Act and carrying out wildlife damage management activities.” [13]

APHIS aims to protect American animals, plants, and the agricultural industry by offering:[ citation needed ]

The threats and challenges within APHIS' scope include:[ citation needed ]

Statutory authorities

APHIS is granted specific authority under several federal statutes:

Animal Health Protection Act, 7 U.S.C.   § 8301 et seq. Governs the prevention, detection, control, and eradication of diseases and pests of animals, where "animal" is defined as "any member of the animal kingdom (except a human)." 7 U.S.C.   § 8302 (1) (West 2009).

Animal Welfare Act of 1966 , 7 U.S.C.   § 2131 et seq. Originally intended to prevent the theft of pets for sale to research facilities, the AWA now broadly regulates minimum standards of care and treatment of animals in research, exhibition, transport, and by dealers. It exempts birds, rats, or mice bred for use in research, horses not used for research, cold blooded animals, and all farm animals used in the production of “food and fiber.” It provides for licensing and registration of all animal dealers and exhibitors.

Horse Protection Act , 15 U.S.C.   §§ 1821 1831 Prohibits horses subjected to a process called “soring” (injecting or applying chemicals to a horse's forelegs to accentuate its gait) from participating in and being transported to exhibitions, sales, shows, or auctions.

Animal Damage Control Act of March 2, 1931, 7 U.S.C.   §§ 426 426c Provides broad authority for investigation, demonstrations and control of “injurious animal species” (mammalian predators, rodents and birds.) Amended in 1991 to prevent the inadvertent introduction of brown tree snakes into other areas of the United States from Guam.

Lacey Act, 16 U.S.C.   §§ 3371 3378 Makes it unlawful for any person to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase any fish or wildlife or plant taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of any law, treaty, or regulation of the United States or in violation of any Indian tribal law whether in interstate or foreign commerce.

Plant Protection Act, 7 U.S.C.   § 7701 et seq. Consolidates all or part of ten existing USDA plant health laws into one comprehensive law. Gives USDA the authority to regulate and to prohibit or restrict the importation, exportation, and the interstate movement of plants, plant products, certain biological control organisms, noxious weeds, and plant pests.

Federal Seed Act, Title III, 7 U.S.C.   §§ 1551 1611 Requires accurate labeling and purity standards for seeds in commerce, and prohibits the importation and movement of adulterated or misbranded seeds.

Honeybee Act, 7 U.S.C.   §§ 281 286 Prohibits or restricts the importation or entry of honeybees and honeybee semen into or through the United States in order to prevent the introduction and spread of diseases and parasites harmful to honeybees, as well as genetically undesirable germ plasm and undesirable bee species.

Animal quarantine laws: 21 U.S.C.   § 101 allows the President, by proclamation, to suspend the importation of all or any class of animals for a limited time, whenever, in his opinion, it is necessary for the protection of animals in the United States against infectious or contagious diseases.

21 U.S.C.   § 113a authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to establish research facilities for hoof and mouth disease and other animal diseases which “in the opinion of the Secretary” constitute a threat to U.S. livestock. Mandates strict controls for the use of any live virus at such research facilities. Permits the Secretary to hire up to five technical experts or scientists at a maximum paygrade of GS-18. (This appears to be one of the most prescriptive statutes that USDA administers.)

21 U.S.C.   § 114i authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to establish and carry out a program for the eradication of pseudorabies in United States swine populations.

Virus-Serum-Toxin Act, 21 U.S.C.   §§ 151 158

Organization

APHIS is divided into six operational programs units:[ citation needed ]

APHIS is also divided into three management support units (Legislative and Public Affairs, Marketing and Regulatory Programs Business Services, and Policy and Program Development), and two offices that support government-wide initiatives: the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and Office of Civil Rights Enforcement and Compliance. [9]

The current APHIS Administrator, Kevin Shea, was appointed in June 2013. [14] His immediate predecessor, Dr. Greg Parham, was appointed in April 2011.

The Deputy Administrator for Veterinary Services also functions as Chief Veterinary Officer of the United States, and represents the U.S. Government at the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) is the National Plant Protection Organization; the Deputy Administrator for PPQ represents the United States in the North American Plant Protection Organization and other international fora related to plant health and quarantine.

In addition to its domestic operations, APHIS International Services staff several overseas offices, including veterinary and plant health attachés in U.S. diplomatic missions as well as technicians carrying out disease and pest eradication and control programs.

On February 26, 2022 Deputy Administrator Osama El-Lissy left to become the Secretary of the International Plant Protection Convention. [15] [16]

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service - Investigative and Enforcement Services - badge.png

Investigative and Enforcement Services

As the name suggests, IES takes referrals from other APHIS personnel as to investigations and enforcements that are needed based on personnel's observations in the course of their duties. [6] [7]

Budget

APHIS has a budget of approximately $800 million annually and employs about 7,000 people, about 5,000 of which are deployed as inspectors at ports, borders and on farms.[ citation needed ]

Criticism

In 2005, the USDA OIG published a report which identified numerous failures on the part of APHIS’ Animal Care (AC) unit to adequately enforce the AWA, including:[ citation needed ]

The OIG audit further reported that at almost one-third of facilities, IACUCs failed to ensure that principal investigators (PIs) considered alternatives to painful procedures; the report cites this failure on the part of IACUCs as being the most frequent AWA violation at animal research facilities. [17]

In 2014, The USDA's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) criticized the Service for a number of issues including its failure to efficiently allocate resources and its failure to administer appropriate fines for animal welfare violations among other issues. The report found the Service conducted inspections at facilities that did not have any animals regulated under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). According to the report, “[Animal Care] did not make the best use of its limited resources, which could have been assigned to inspect other more problematic facilities, including breeders, dealers, and exhibitors.” The Service was also criticized for prematurely closing cases that involved “grave (e.g., animal deaths) or repeat welfare violations.” When the service did levy fines against institutions for AWA violations, the Inspector General's report found “penalties that were reduced by an average of 86 percent from... authorized maximum penalty per violation. Consequently, 26 of the 30 violators in our sample received” and that the Service “grant[ed] good faith reductions without merit or us[ed] a smaller number of violations than the actual number.” According to the USDA's report, APHIS agreed with the findings and will begin implanting reforms. [18]

On 4 February 2017, the USDA Animal Care Search Tool, a searchable database containing documents with details about the animals held by individual US animal research facility together with inspection and action reports, was removed from public access, with a stated reason of protecting personal information. The removal affects inspection reports, research facility annual reports, regulatory correspondence (such as official warnings), and certain enforcement records. Information from these documents can now only be requested via a Freedom of Information Act inquiry. [19] This removal has been criticized as substantially limiting information on animal care in US institutions, and of inhibiting access to what is still available. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skunks as pets</span>

Although capable of living indoors with humans similarly to cats or dogs, pet skunks are relatively rare, partly due to restrictive laws and the complexity of their care. Pet skunks are mainly kept in the United States, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal Welfare Act of 1966</span> U.S. federal law

The Animal Welfare Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 24, 1966. It is the main federal law in the United States that regulates the treatment of animals in research and exhibition. Other laws, policies, and guidelines may include additional species coverage or specifications for animal care and use, but all refer to the Animal Welfare Act as the minimally acceptable standard for animal treatment and care. The USDA and APHIS oversee the AWA and the House and Senate Agriculture Committees have primary legislative jurisdiction over the Act. Animals covered under this Act include any live or dead cat, dog, hamster, rabbit, nonhuman primate, guinea pig, and any other warm-blooded animal determined by the Secretary of Agriculture for research, pet use or exhibition. Excluded from the Act are birds, rats of the genus Rattus, mice of the genus Mus, farm animals, and all cold-blooded animals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee</span>

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs) are centrally important in applying laws about animal research in the United States. Similar systems operate in other countries, but generally under different titles; for example, in Canada a typical title would be the University Animal Care Committee (UACC), while in the United Kingdom it would be the Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body (AWERB).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khapra beetle</span> Species of insect

The khapra beetle, also called cabinet beetle, which originated in South Asia, is one of the world's most destructive pests of grain products and seeds. It is considered one of the 100 worst invasive species in the world. Infestations are difficult to control because of the insect's ability to survive without food for long periods, its preference for dry conditions and low-moisture food, and its resistance to many insecticides. There is a federal quarantine restricting the importation of rice into the U.S. from countries with known infestations of the beetle. Khapra beetle infestation can spoil otherwise valuable trade goods and threaten significant economic losses if introduced to a new area. Handling or consuming contaminated grain and seed products can lead to health issues such as skin irritation and gastrointestinal distress.

The Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance Program is a component of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ). The mission of the Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance Program is to detect and prevent the unlawful entry and distribution of prohibited and/or non-compliant products that may harbor exotic plant and animal pests, diseases or invasive species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal testing regulations</span> Guidelines with regard to animal testing

Animal testing regulations are guidelines that permit and control the use of non-human animals for scientific experimentation. They vary greatly around the world, but most governments aim to control the number of times individual animals may be used; the overall numbers used; and the degree of pain that may be inflicted without anesthetic.

President Chester A. Arthur signed the Animal Industry Act on May 29, 1884 creating the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), an organization that was established under the United States Department of Agriculture. It replaced the Veterinary Division that had been created by the Commissioner of Agriculture in 1883, which had taken over for the Treasury Cattle Commission, Department of Treasury.

The Virus-Serum-Toxin Act or VSTA was United States Federal legislation designed to protect farmers and livestock raisers by regulating the quality of vaccines and point-of-care diagnostics for animals. Initially, the Virus-Serum-Toxin Act was created due to significant losses from unregulated manufacture and distribution of anti-hog cholera serum. The Act's intended purpose is to ensure the safe and efficient supply of animal vaccines and other biological products. The United States Secretary of Agriculture is responsible for licensing and regulating the manufacture, importation, and exportation of affected agents. The act and its applicable guidelines are managed by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plant Quarantine Act</span>

The Plant Quarantine Act, originally enacted in 1912, gave the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) authority to regulate the importation and interstate movement of nursery stock and other plants that may carry pests and diseases that are harmful to agriculture. This Act has been superseded by the consolidated APHIS statute, the Plant Protection Act of 2000. This authority is particularly important to the agency’s ability to prevent or limit the spread of harmful invasive species within or to a state or region of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plant Protection Act</span> United States legislation (2000)

The Plant Protection Act (PPA) is a US statute relating to plant pests and noxious weeds introduced in 2000. It is currently codified at 7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq. It consolidates related responsibilities that were previously spread over various legislative statutes, including the Plant Quarantine Act, the Federal Plant Pest Act and the Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horse Protection Act of 1970</span> United States federal law banning soring of horses

The Horse Protection Act of 1970 (HPA); is a United States federal law, under which the practice of soring is a crime punishable by both civil and criminal penalties, including fines and jail time. It is illegal to show a horse, enter it at a horse show, or to auction, sell, offer for sale, or transport a horse for any of these purposes if it has been sored.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Seed Act</span>

The Federal Seed Act, P.L. 76-354, requires accurate labeling and purity standards for seeds in commerce, and prohibits the importation and movement of adulterated or misbranded seeds. The law works in conjunction with the Plant Protection Act of 2000 to authorize the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to regulate the importation of field crop, pasture and forage, or vegetable seed that may contain noxious weed seeds. USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service is responsible for enforcing the labeling and purity standard provisions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Plant Pest Act of 1957</span> U.S. federal legislation

The Federal Plant Pest Act of 1957 prohibited the movement of pests from a foreign country into or through the United States unless authorized by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) are responsible for safeguarding agriculture and natural resources from the risks associated with the entry, establishment, or spread of animal and plant pests and noxious weeds.

Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) is one of six operational program units within the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The PPQ works to safeguard agriculture and natural resources in the U.S. against the entry, establishment, and spread of animal and plant pests, and noxious weeds in order to help ensure the protection of native flora and an abundant, high-quality, and varied food supply.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phytosanitary certification</span> Plant health verification, import/export

Phytosanitary certification verifies phytosanitary worthiness. These certificates are used to attest that consignments meet phytosanitary import requirements and are undertaken by a National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO). Under the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and ISPM, a certificate for export or for re-export can be issued only by a public officer who is technically qualified and duly authorized by an NPPO.

The National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) provides laboratory services for the US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). It operates from Ames, Iowa and Plum Island Animal Disease Center at Plum Island (New York). The NVSL provides a wide variety of information and services, centered on diagnosis of domestic and foreign animal diseases, support of disease control and eradication programs, reagents for diagnostic testing, training, and laboratory certification.

Animal welfare in the United States relates to the treatment of non-human animals in fields such as agriculture, hunting, medical testing and the domestic ownership of animals. It is distinct from animal conservation.

In December 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a Resolution declaring 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH). The purpose of the IYPH was to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment, and boost economic development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Shea (administrator)</span> American civil servant

Kevin Shea is an American administrator who served as the acting United States secretary of agriculture from January to February 2021. A career civil servant, he has served as the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), a division of the United States Department of Agriculture, since June 18, 2013.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Marion, Nancy; Oliver, Willard M. (2015). Federal law enforcement agencies in America. New York City: Wolters Kluwer Law & Business. p. 147. ISBN   978-1-4548-5833-1. OCLC   896806708.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Records of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service [APHIS]". National Archives. August 15, 2016.
  3. "Join the APHIS Team". APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service). USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). 2019-09-17. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  4. USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). "United States Department of Agriculture FY 2021 Budget Summary" (PDF). p. 65. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-03-18.
  5. 1 2 "APHIS Leadership and Biographies". APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service). USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  6. 1 2 "Investigative and Enforcement Services (IES)". APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service). USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  7. 1 2 "USDA • IES Brochure • 7.28.15 final" (PDF). APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service). USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-02-13.
  8. "PPQ's Role in IPPC and NAPPO". Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 2021-02-19.
  9. 1 2 "APHIS website".
  10. "Border Security: Inspections Practices, Policies, and Issues".
  11. "USDA: APHIS Celebrates 50 Years!".
  12. Secretary’s Memorandum 1762
  13. "USDA APHIS | About APHIS".
  14. "USDA APHIS | About APHIS".
  15. "Osama El-Lissy Appointed As New Secretary For International Plant Protection Convention". International Plant Protection Convention . 2022-03-08. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
  16. "Osama El Lissy, Former APHIS Deputy Administrator, Named Secretary of the International Plant Protection Convention". APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service). USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). 2022-03-11. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
  17. Young, Robert W (30 September 2005). "Audit Report: APHIS Animal Care Program Inspection and Enforcement Activities" (PDF). USDA Office of Inspector General. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  18. Harden, Gil H (9 December 2014). "Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services Oversight of Research Facilities" (PDF). USDA Office of Inspector General. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  19. "Animal Welfare: USDA Animal Care Search Tool <sidebar link>". United States Department of Agriculture - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  20. Aldhous, Peter (4 February 2017). "It Just Got Much Harder To Know What's Going On In US Animal Research Labs". BuzzFeed News.

Further reading

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