FWS to Release Form 3-177 Data Unless Objection Received by June 11
Importers, exporters and customs brokers have until June 11 to file objections to the release of data on shipments of plants and wildlife regulated by the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1999 and from 2015 to 2020, FWS said in a notice on its website. The agency says it has received a Freedom of Information Act request for data on shipments in its Law Enforcement Management Information System database, and will release the data if no objections are received by that date.
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The requested data includes port of entry, import/export license number, carrier name, air waybill or bill of lading number, permit number, quantity, value, origin, and identity and address information on the importer, foreign shipper and customs broker associated with the shipment. “A submitter who does not respond within the time period specified under will be considered to have no objection to disclosure of the information,” FWS said. Affected entities are businesses that have filed an FWS Form 3-177 during the relevant period.
FWS said companies may object under FOIA provisions that bar the disclosure of information if it is a trade secret, or if it is financial information that is privileged or confidential. Objections must include a “specific and detailed discussion” on how the relevant exception applies to each category of information. Submitters of Form 3-177 may contact FWS to review their records subject to possible release.
“Please note that the Service, not you, is responsible for deciding whether the information should be released or withheld,” FWS said. “If the Service decides to release records over your objections, the Service will inform you at least 10 business days in advance of the intended release.”