Over the last week, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) Conservation Officers have made nine different cases on illegal importation of cervid carcasses. Some of these cases originated from concerned citizens and through cooperation with other state and federal agencies.
In May 2016, the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks passed 40 Miss. Admin Code, Part 2, Rule 2.7 Prohibition on Cervid Carcass Importation, to Protect Mississippi from Chronic Wasting Disease. Rule 2.7 states that it is unlawful to import, transport, or possess any portion of a cervid carcass originating from any state, territory, or foreign country where the occurrence of CWD has been confirmed by either the state wildlife agency, state agriculture agency, state veterinarian, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
This rule shall not apply to the importation of:
· Meat from cervids that has been completely deboned.
· Antlers, antlers attached to cleaned skull plates or cleaned skulls where no tissue is attached to the skull.
· Cleaned teeth.
· Finished taxidermy and antler products.
· Hides and tanned products.
· Any portions of white-tailed deer originating from the land between the Mississippi River levees in Arkansas
As of August 31, 2016, CWD has been confirmed in the following states: Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Additionally, the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, Norway, and South Korea are CWD positive. CWD has not been found in Mississippi.
“Hunters who are hunting in a CWD-positive state need to be aware of these new regulations before they bring their trophy back to Mississippi,” said Col. Steve Adcock, MDWFP Chief of Law Enforcement. “Our officers are working diligently to prevent CWD from entering into Mississippi.”
For more information on CWD, please visit the CWD Alliance website at cwd-info.org
