Barantin secures 7,355 illegal birds in Bali

PHOTO: Dafi-VOI

DENPASAR - The Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin) detained 7,355 illegal birds that were transported from West Nusa Tenggara to Bali without quarantine documents to prevent the spread of animal diseases.

The detention was carried out by the Bali Animal, Fish, and Plant Quarantine Headquarters through the Padangbai Service Unit together with the Indonesian Navy, the Bali Natural Resources Conservation Agency, the Padangbai KP3 Police, and the Flight Protection Bird.

"This detention is a firm step to mitigate the risk of the entry and spread of quarantine animal disease pests in the Bali Island area," said Head of the Indonesian Quarantine Agency Sahat Manaor Panggabean, Wednesday, January 21.

The thousands of birds secured consisted of various types, including manyar, sangihe, zebra sparrow, srigunting, prenjak, kemade, madu matari, chili, ciblek, batu gecko, glasses, and kombo lizards.

The detention was carried out because the delivery of the birds did not meet the quarantine requirements from the origin area and violated the provisions of laws and regulations.

Sahat emphasized that Barantin was committed to implementing Law Number 21 of 2019 concerning Animal, Fish, and Plant Quarantine, including in the prevention of diseases such as bird flu and other animal diseases.

This step is part of the government's efforts to prevent the entry and spread of the Quarantine Animal Disease Locust that has the potential to endanger the health of animals, humans, and environmental sustainability.

He stated that preventing the transmission of diseases is one of the main missions in maintaining national food security and the sustainability of Indonesia's biodiversity.

"The investigation into this case of violation will be carried out thoroughly to create a deterrent effect and prevent the emergence of new diseases," said Sahat.