Flighted Spongy Moth Complex, wood-grain background

Flighted Spongy Moth Complex Season 2023 – Be prepared

Published: 09 June 2023

Read about the changes made for the 2023 season by Australia, Chile, Canada, US and New Zealand

** Note that Flighted Spongy Moth Complex (FSMC) is the new name for Asian Gypsy Moth (AGM) **

A joint notice by Canada and US in February 2023 specified longer risk periods, and the commencement of the 2023 season is accompanied by some more changes by Chile, Argentina and New Zealand. These changes are primarily to align their specified risk periods with that of the US and Canada.

Do note that despite similar specified risk periods, each country may have its own specific requirements on how the risk period is imposed or which countries in the specified risk period will be the target for inspection.

The normal requirement is that a ship that has called at a port in a regulated FSMC area during the specified risk period of the current or previous year will be considered a ship at high FSMC risk. That means that in general, the ship is required to get a proper FSMC-free certificate at the last port visited in the high-risk area.

For Australia, any ship that has visited a port in Eastern Russia between 40ºN and 60ºN, or west of 147ºE, anytime between 1 July and 30 September in the previous two calendar years will be targeted.

Please refer to our FSMC ( formerly AGM) section for full information and guidance on the FSMC regulations imposed by the above-mentioned countries, as well as using our BIMCO FSMC clause for Time Charter Parties 2023.
Ai Cheng Foo-Nielsen

CONTACT BIMCO

Ai Cheng Foo-Nielsen

Manager, Maritime Information

Copenhagen, Denmark