Japanese Beetle Rules Changed - Ministerial Order Revoked
via CFIA
Notice to industry: Changes to Japanese beetle requirements in British Columbia
Who does this affect
This notice is of interest to members of the Canadian landscaping, construction, nursery, greenhouse, horticulture, agriculture, and forestry industries, who may need to move regulated articles outside of a Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) regulated area in British Columbia (BC). The changes described below also impact anyone moving regulated articles out of the Japanese beetle regulated area in BC.
Regulated articles include plants with soil or soil-related matter attached, year-round.
What has changed
The Phytosanitary Requirements to Prevent the Spread of Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica) in Canada and the United States (D-96-15) were revised in May 2023. Under the new directive, movement controls to prevent the spread of Japanese beetle in the Province of BC have changed.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has expanded the Japanese beetle regulated areas within the Cities of Burnaby and Vancouver. A new Japanese beetle regulated area has also been created within the Cities of Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam.
Visit the Japanese beetle regulated areas in BC map for more details.
The movement of plants with soil or soil-related matter to an area that is located outside of a Japanese beetle regulated area is restricted. A movement certificate issued by the CFIA is required year-round.
The movement of plants with soil or soil-related matter attached within the regulated area does not require a domestic movement certificate.
Current requirements
To facilitate the implementation of the new guidelines, the Japanese beetle Ministerial Order was revoked on May 5, 2023 to focus efforts on the highest risk articles – plants with soil or soil related matter attached. A movement certificate is no longer required to remove soil or plants and plant parts with no soil attached (above-ground parts) from the Japanese beetle regulated area in BC.
D-96-15: Phytosanitary Requirements to Prevent the Spread of Japanese Beetle, Popillia japonica, in Canada and the United States
Guidance for the movement of plants with soil or soil-related matter leaving a Japanese beetle regulated area located within British Columbia
Any person or business who fails to adhere to the movement restrictions may be subject to a fine, prosecution, or both.
Why have the Japanese beetle movement controls in BC changed
In 2022, the CFIA's enhanced surveillance effort indicated that although Japanese beetle was detected outside of the Burnaby and Vancouver regulated areas, including areas in the cities of Port Coquitlam and Richmond, there were no detections at or near any of the sites that receive soil or plant parts without soil. This, combined with the low total trap captures, supported the revocation of the Japanese beetle Ministerial Order to focus Japanese beetle response efforts on to the highest-risk pathway for the beetle to spread, which is through the movement of plants with soil or soil-related matter attached.
The changes are supported by the members of the ongoing Japanese beetle collaborative response, whose goal remains eradication from the Province of BC.
Japanese beetle is an invasive, regulated pest under the Plant Protection Act and Regulations. It feeds on the roots of turf grass and the foliage of more than 300 plant species. This pest could cause serious harm to BC's agricultural sector and ecosystem, and could cause significant damage to food crops, lawns, landscapes, golf courses, gardens and parks.
Japanese beetle was first detected in the False Creek area of Vancouver, BC in 2017. This beetle is established in the provinces of Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec. The movement of regulated articles from these areas to other parts of Canada where the pest does not occur, including BC, must meet certain requirements to prevent further spread. The Province of BC is the only province/territory that holds Japanese beetle Category 1 pest-free status. Establishment of the beetle may result in a loss of this status and require industry to set-up and maintain Japanese beetle certification programs.
Contact
For more information about the Japanese beetle response in BC, visit: Japanese beetle response in British Columbia or contact your local CFIA office.
To obtain a movement certificate to remove plants with soil or soil-related matter attached from a regulated area in British Columbia, or to report sightings of Japanese beetle in BC, please call 604-292-5742 or email us at BCPF.Japanese.Beetle@inspection.gc.ca.