Expert to tackle foot and mouth disease
In efforts to educate the public on the dangers of foot and mouth disease, the Department of Lands and Natural Resources has invited an expert from Hawaii to discuss the perennial animal problem.
DLNR Special Assistant for Correspondence Marianne Teregeyo said DLNR, along with Division of Agriculture and the USDA Plant Protection and Quarantine, will hold an open house on April 14 to discuss plant and animal quarantine procedures.
The department has invited USDA-PPQ Director Mitchell Nelson to meet with local maritime staff on April 6 and comprehensively talk about cargo manifests rules and regulations.
Ms. Teregeyo added that the annual refresher course on new regulations will also be conducted for senior quarantine officers including the impact of the foot and mouth disease.
“The open house is designed to help better educate the public, especially consignees and importers, on general quarantine and USDA rules and regulations governing consumable goods that are brought into the Commonwealth either for personal consumption or for resale,” she explained.
The department also urged the public to take advantage of Mr. Mitchell’s presence and hold its own orientation program to educate employees on various aspects of agriculture.
At present, the department is strictly monitoring the entry of meat and milk products from areas infected by FMD as quarantine procedures not only on cargoes but for passengers are being carefully enforced.
Authorities prohibit the entry of meat and milk products from foreign countries where the animal disease is currently spreading. DLNR only allows the entry of meat products from US, Guam, New Zealand, and other countries approved by the US Department of Agriculture. (EGA)
