Six Cats and Six Pigeons Detained in Kuala Tungkal Over Missing Quarantine Documents

A team from the Jambi Animal, Fish and Plant Quarantine Centre detained six cats and six pigeons originating from the Riau Islands that docked at the port area in Kuala Tungkal, West Tanjungjabung Regency, Jambi Province, recently, due to a lack of quarantine documents. Head of Jambi Quarantine Sudiwan Situmorang stated in a release on Wednesday (17/6) that, in addition to several types of cats and pigeons, his personnel also detained five kilogrammes of shallots, seven kilogrammes of garlic, and several ornamental plants without quarantine documents. The animal, plant, and agricultural product commodities from Kepri, Sudiwan said, were detained on Friday last week (12/6) from a minibus that disembarked from the KMP Satria Pratama vessel at Kuala Tungkal port. Sudiwan stressed that the detention action is a form of Jambi Quarantine’s commitment to maintaining biosecurity and preventing the entry of pests and diseases that could threaten the agricultural and livestock sectors. “Quarantine is present as the front line of protection for biological natural resources. Every carrier medium entering the Jambi region must meet quarantine requirements. This provision is not merely administrative but is a risk mitigation step to prevent the spread of pests and diseases that can harm the public and business actors,” he asserted. According to Sudiwan, the entry of animals and plants without quarantine documents violates the provisions of Law Number 21 of 2019 concerning Animal, Fish, and Plant Quarantine, which stipulates that every carrier medium must be reported and accompanied by a health certificate or quarantine certificate from the area of origin. In addition, officers also found shallot commodities originating from the Riau Islands region. For these commodities, Quarantine conducted supervision in accordance with the provisions of Minister of Agriculture Regulation Number 45 of 2019, which regulates restrictions on the distribution of shallots from certain areas, including Batam, to other regions in Indonesia. It was noted that unmonitored traffic of animals and plants has the potential to become a means of spreading diseases that can cause economic losses and disrupt food security. “We will not tolerate the entry of carrier media that do not meet the provisions. Supervision at entry points will continue to be strengthened as a form of maximum protection for the Jambi region,” he said.