Jambi Quarantine Detains Undocumented Animals from Riau Islands at Port

Jambi (ANTARA) - The Jambi Animal, Fish and Plant Quarantine Agency has tightened surveillance by detaining animals and plants from the Riau Islands (Kepri) that entered the port of Kuala Tungkal, West Tanjung Jabung Regency, without official documents.

“Our officers from the Kuala Tungkal service unit detained a number of animals, plants and agricultural products from the Riau Islands that entered Jambi without quarantine certificates,” said Head of Jambi Quarantine Sudiwan Situmorang in Jambi on Wednesday.

The detention was carried out during an inspection upon the arrival of the KMP Satria Pratama ship at Kuala Tungkal Port. The secured commodities were transported using passenger vehicles.

He stressed that this action is a form of commitment to maintaining biosecurity and preventing the entry of pests and diseases.

Quarantine serves as the frontline defence for protecting biological natural resources. Every carrier medium entering the Jambi region must meet quarantine requirements.

This provision is not merely administrative, but a risk mitigation measure to prevent the spread of pests and diseases that could harm both the public and business operators.

According to Sudiwan, the entry of animals and plants without documents violates Law Number 21 of 2019 concerning Animal, Fish and Plant Quarantine. The law requires every carrier medium to be reported and accompanied by a health/quarantine certificate from the area of origin.

Additionally, onion commodities from the Riau Islands are also monitored in accordance with Minister of Agriculture Regulation Number 45 of 2019. This regulation restricts the movement of onions from certain areas, including Batam, to other regions in Indonesia.

He added that the unsupervised traffic of animals and plants could potentially become a means of spreading disease. The impact could result in economic losses and disruption to food security.

“We will not tolerate the entry of carrier media that do not meet the requirements. Supervision at entry points will continue to be strengthened as a form of maximum protection for the Jambi region,” said Sudiwan.

Through routine supervision at ports, airports and cross-border posts, Jambi Quarantine continues to ensure that the traffic of animals, fish, plants and their derivative products is safe and complies with regulations in order to maintain Indonesia’s biosecurity.