The UAE’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has imposed a ban on imports of all animals and birds into the country without special permission.
The ministry on Wednesday gave importers of livestock found to be violating import regulations and veterinary quarantine rules 48 hours to return the goods to their country of origin, or face confiscation at the end of that period, reports said.
Ahli Arab, director of the animal resources department at the ministry, was quoted by the Khaleej Times as saying that the ministry had decided to activate its regulation, after it was found that several shipments of livestock and birds had been imported without permits.
Arab explained that the ministry should know the origin of the imported consignment to verify whether the exporting nation faced any threat from mad cow, foot and mouth, or any other disease.
In addition to the import permit, the ministry has also made it a prerequisite for importers to furnish the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) form when the consignment lands in the UAE.
The document, a prerequisite for any company trading in exotic and endangered species of animals and plants, is based on an international agreement among governments to ensure that international trade in certain species of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival globally, Arab said.
Some 5,000 species of animals and 25,000 species of plants are protected by CITES against over-exploitation through international trade.
He said the ministry had also made provisions to modify quarantine regulations and further improve the quarantine facilities available at entry points in the country – Albawaba.com
