Notice to industry: Change to the process to temporarily remove plant pests from containment for display purposes

December 13, 2019 – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulates the intentional import and handling of plant pests in Canada. If you are looking to get and handle plant pests, you must apply to the CFIA. If plant pests are contained for exhibition or educational purposes, they may only be removed in certain circumstances.

Directive D-12-03 outlines the authorization process that allows the temporary removal of contained plants pests. Until now, authorizations issued by the CFIA have normally been valid for one year and limited removal to five consecutive days.

CFIA has simplified the approval process for temporarily removing plant pests contained for exhibition or educational purposes.

What's changing

The change applies to contained, low-risk invertebrates (for example, butterflies, beetles, cockroaches and stick insects) removed for display inside a school or other building.

The new process is easier and faster for regulated parties and the CFIA, and aligns requirements with risks to plant health in Canada.

Regulated parties will no longer need to:

• apply for separate temporary removal authorizations; instead authorization will be part of import permits and domestic written authorizations
• re-apply yearly for a temporary removal authorization; instead authorization will be valid indefinitely

Regulated parties will:

• have greater flexibility when planning display activities–the temporary removal time has been increased to 10 consecutive days

The updates only apply to the display of invertebrates that are in closed buildings and that need to be contained at the Plant Pest Containment (PPC)-Display level. For reference, see CFIA's Addendum for Containment Zones where Low-Risk Exotic Invertebrates are Displayed.

In all other circumstances, regulated parties must request approval for a temporary removal using the Application for a Written Authorization to Conduct Activities on Plant Pests (CFIA/ACIA 5851).

The change is not applied retroactively to existing permits and domestic written authorizations.

If you have questions, please contact CFIA's Invasive Alien Species and Domestic Programs Section at CFIA-IAS_ACIA-EEE@inspection.gc.ca.