Incomplete Documents, 10 Poultry from South Sulawesi-North Sumatra Destroyed Malut Quarantine

Malut Quarantine officers supervise incoming goods through the Ahmad Yani Port, Ternate, Tuesday (10/2/2026). ANTARA/HO-Malut Quarantine

North Maluku Animal, Fish and Plant Quarantine Office (Malut) has destroyed 10 illegal adult poultry that were brought to the Malut area, without complete quarantine documents.

"The destruction action was carried out as a preventive measure to protect regional biological resources from the threat of strategic infectious animal diseases, such as Avian Influenza (AI), which has the potential to disrupt animal-based food production and have an impact on the economic stability of the livestock sector," said Head of the Malut Quarantine Law Enforcement Team, Rusli Samma when contacted, Tuesday, quoted by Antara.

He said that the illegal poultry came from Bau-Bau, Southeast Sulawesi (Sultra) with six heads, as well as Manado, North Sulawesi (Sulut) with four heads.

According to him, the circulation of illegal poultry without health guarantees poses a great risk, not only for animal health, but also for food security and the welfare of livestock business actors.

"Poultry that enters without going through the quarantine procedure is very risky for carrying diseases. If this is left unchecked, the impact can be widespread, ranging from livestock deaths, economic losses for farmers, to threats to public food security," said Rusli.

He emphasized that the supervision of media carriers, including animals and animal products, would continue to be tightened as part of support for the President's Asta Cita of the Republic of Indonesia, especially in realizing national food security and food self-sufficiency.

According to Rusli, the destruction of illegal poultry is a form of law enforcement that is measured and in accordance with the provisions of applicable laws and regulations.

"This destruction action refers to Articles 47 and 48 of Law Number 21 of 2019 concerning Animal, Fish, and Plant Quarantine, as well as Articles 80 and 81 of Government Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia Number 29 of 2023. In addition, we are also guided by the Decree of the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia Number 708/Kpts/PK.310/M/12/2024 regarding the Status of Animal Disease Situation," he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of the North Maluku Quarantine, Sugeng Prayogo, emphasized that animal health protection is the main foundation in maintaining the sustainability of the regional food economy.

"The destruction of illegal poultry is part of long-term efforts to protect food security and animal health in North Maluku," said Sugeng.

He added, in the midst of the rampant smuggling of animals and animal products, the Malut Quarantine is committed to not providing space for violations of regulations that can harm farmers and the wider community.

"We will not tolerate any form of quarantine violation. All of this is to protect local farmers and ensure that the public gets safe, healthy, and safe food," he said.

Sugeng also invited all elements of society to play an active role in supporting quarantine surveillance efforts by reporting any suspicious or non-standard animal traffic activities.