Following detention of 88 guppy fishes in quarantine facilities of Stasiun Karantina Ikan Pengendalian Mutu dan Keamanan Hasil Perikanan (Stasiun KIPM) Yogyakarta due to their unreported translocation into Yogyakarta from Malaysia on Tuesday last week, the fishes were officially euthanized yesterday, 24 January 2018.
The decision was taken after the owner failed to provide legal documents both from Governmental agencies of Malaysia and Indonesia. Subsequently, a three-days period was granted by the Law to the owner to accomplish the requirement. Another similar length of period had also been granted to the couple to re-export their fishes back to Malaysia. However, latter procedure was also declined by inability of the owner to undertake the task. The procedures are based on Indonesian Quarantine Law no 16 / 1992, Government Regulation no 15 / 2002 on Fish Quarantine, and Minister Regulation of Marine Affairs and Fisheries no 20 /2007 on quarantine measures for importation and translocation of fish diseases carriers in arrivals point within Indonesia.
As reported before, the fishes packed in a box were within possession of an Indonesian couple having finished their journey from Kuala Lumpur and arrived in Adisucipto International Airport of Yogyakarta on Tuesday last week when officers of Custom, and Fish Quarantine And Inspection Agency of Yogyakarta intercepted it and found it without any documents attached regarding its translocation from Malaysia sparking question of health status of the fishes. A joint investigation between both Agencies was then conducted leading the custody of the fishes in quarantine facilities to avoid spread of pathogenic agent and as the order of the Law due to failure of the fish owners to comply with the regulation for import of live fishes.
Apart of the fact that the owner had committed to violate the Law despite of their unawareness, the fishes are known to have potentials of posing risks of causing diseases outbreaks such as Spring Viraemia of Carp, Viral Nervous Necrosis, and Megalocytivirus. Abundant researches revealed that various ornamental fishes imported from Malaysia were positive with the diseases.
Once illegal live fishes, those without required health certificate declaring fishes to be transported free of diseases, leaked into Yogyakarta, local fisheries resources would face obvious catastrophic. Viral fish diseases, as seen in all cases, are able to cause 100 % of mortalities. If that happen, it would devastate aquaculture resources of Yogyakarta which already have recorded trade of more than 165 million freshwater fish seeds for customers of outside Java islands last year. It was a new record compared with the trade profile a decade ago which was at 2.5 million of seeds. Upcoming years would expect an increase of trade volume as well as kinds of fishes for customers of around Indonesia while export requires Yogyakarta free of harmful fish diseases.
“Fish Quarantine and Inspection Agency in cooperation with all competent authorities in Adisucipto International Airport continuously showed our determination in protecting Indonesian fisheries and marine resources especially of Yogyakarta. More importantly, the strict quarantine measures imposed on import commodities coming into Yogyakarta without proper procedures is part of our duty in ensuring sovereignty of our country.”said Suprayogi, the Head of Fish Quarantine and Inspection Agency.
Animal-Welfare based Euthanasia
The euthanasia of the seized fishes took place in quarantine facilities of Stasiun KIPM Yogyakarta attended by representatives of competent authorities of Adisucipto International Airport such as Custom and Excise of Yogyakarta, Aviation Security, and also the owner of the fishes. At the beginning of the process, quarantine officers delivered the procedures of the euthanasia which followed principals of animal welfare. There had been various methods of destroying the contraband items such as by incinerating. However, since the seized materials are living creatures, the euthanasia must be performed in the most peaceful release with minimal pain and distress.
Three steps of destroying contraband live guppies were conducted consisted of anesthetizing and euthanizing the fishes, and burial of dead fish bodies. Anesthesia enables the painless performance of extermination procedures that would cause severe or intolerable pain to an un-anesthetized living creatures. Solution containing clove oil was used as anesthetic substances while during euthanasia process the solution of high dosages of formalin was chosen to deliver the terminal process. Remain of the fish bodies were then buried.
Quarantine Measures as Education Tools For Public to increase awareness of sustainability of fisheries
During the process of extermination of the seized fish, the Head of FQIA of Yogyakarta also stated that the owner was urged to keep developing ornamental fishes in Yogyakarta by complying with rules and regulations for they are enacted to ensure sustainability of promising natural resources. The potential of ornamental fishes especially freshwater fishes is believed to play significant roles in economic sectors of Yogyakarta in the near future. Considerable increase of the trade has been recorded in the last two years to which ornamental fish trade shared the highest frequencies of fish translocation and trade from this area. Not only of domestic trade, export is also expected to shape the profile of ornamental fish trade in Yogyakarta in upcoming years. However, it needs cooperation and awareness of all fisheries stake holders in Yogyakarta to realize that all effort in development of fisheries must put sustainability issue as the main target.
In regard of this, Fish Quarantine and Inspection Agencies as the competent authority in ensuring the implementation of law and regulation in controlling spread of fish diseases and assuring quality of fish products has determined to disseminate its effort in law enforcement on infringements of laws of quarantine and fisheries as education tools for public. Indeed, in the term of global trade, quarantine issue plays significant roles in ensuring sovereignty of a country facing threat of commodities harmful to sustainability of domestic natural environments.
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