Boat owners liable for shipping 

undocumented livestock, meat

TAGBILARAN CITY, January 23, (PIA)--Boat masters, captains, and boat owners are liable to penalties and liabilities for shipping undocumented raw meat, livestock and their produces as well as by products.

Thus warns the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), who are also mandated with the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Industry's (DA-BAI) Veterinary Quarantine Services to implement the policies on shipping and transporting livestock and animal products and by-products.

The measure is also to make sure that livestock industries, especially in the island provinces, insulated from diseases as well as assure consumers and livestock growers the quality of meat and its safe consumption across regions, explains veterinarian Dr. Eleonor Abisado.

We need to make sure that raw meat entering Bohol is not contaminated by any animal disease, thus proper documentation is needed, the veterinarian at the Provincial Veterinary Office added.

Also, so as not to be accused of contaminating livestock and food safety outside Bohol, livestock also need to be cleared of any disease and must undergo quarantine, explains the vets.

While raw meat and by-products need to be cleared by showing proofs of purchase (purchase receipts) from facilities with BAI accreditation, meat from unaccredited sources are to be returned or subjected to heat to be allowed transport, according to Dr Abisado.

Dogs and cats, to be transported must be accompanied by vaccination proofs against rabies that the animal has had 15 months of protection prior to shipment, veterinary health certificates and BAI shipping permits.

Gamefowl and live chicken and poultry shipments need to have veterinary health certificates, certification of them free from newcastle and avian flu.

In Bohol, there has been no traces of the dreaded foot and mouth disease, avian influenza and other animal diseases that could literally kill livestock industries, that keeping Bohol mainland insulated from any animal disease is the ultimate goal, the vet hinted.

And with the porous boundaries in Bohol where small boats can just easily land and very few people can guard borders, the problem of contaminating local stocks can easily become a reality.

Veterinarians however rely on barangay officials who are also helping to protect the local industries.

To make sure that the island is protected, government authorities like the DA-BAI issued Memorandum Circular 26, series of 2017 putting in guidelines on the issuance of shipping permits for local transport of live animals, their products and by-products.

Along this line, the PCG also issued MC 147 in relation to Maritime Authority of the Philippines (MARINA) Board decision on clearance necessary for products to be loaded onboard inter-island ships.

The Marina MC said ship-owners shall institute a mechanism to ensure that cargoes for ladong shall be covered by appropriate clearances.

Violations on the primary responsibility of boats masters and captains to ensure compliance shall be subject to administrative fines without prejudice to institution of criminal and civil suits for concerned officers.

For ship-owners who allowed the loading of undocumented live stock or raw meat and its by-products, P5,000 is meted for every departure of shipment, and 2,000 for masters or captains in the first violation.

The same thing holds true to small boats, penalties raised from 5,000 to 15,000 to 50,000 for subsequent violations for ship-owners while for the boat masters or crew, form the P2,000 first offense, penalties go to P5,000 and P10,000 for subsequent violations, according to Chief Master at Arms of PCG Tagbilaran Elmer Esteves, at the Kapihan sa PIA. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)