HAGÅTÑA, Guam — Acting Governor Joshua F. Tenorio has directed the Guam Department of Agriculture to immediately lift the blanket ban on the importation of live poultry from flocks within the United States.
The directive followed a legal and policy review that found Guam law and current regulations already provide safeguards to protect public health and agriculture without requiring a complete prohibition.
Tenorio said the policy change supports food security, sustainability, and the economy, and said the decision came after review of existing safeguards and regulations, along with discussions with affected farmers and poultry breeders. He expects the resumption to help stabilize egg and poultry supply, support farmers, and keep policy legally grounded and proportionate to current conditions.
The Acting Governor also emphasized that poultry imports must still meet existing health requirements, including certification by accredited veterinarians confirming birds are free of specified diseases and show no symptoms at the time of shipment. The directive noted that Guam’s territorial veterinarian had previously banned the import of live adult poultry from the U.S. due to concerns about avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined the current public health risk is low. It also states that the U.S. Department of Agriculture does not ban poultry transportation within the United States or from the rest of the world, but instead limits importation or shipments from geographic areas with active outbreaks of communicable avian illness.
The Acting Governor thanked the Guam Department of Agriculture for its vigilance while noting that federal and local safety protocols are in place to prevent the spread of avian-related diseases such as bird flu.
