Sailors criticise biosecurity 'inconsistent' standards

The Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF) has come under fire for its handling of a policy governing the importation of poultry by foreign sailors.

Viki Moore, managing director of Island Cruising, a company that provides yacht cruising rallies, claimed BAF officials had been confiscating chicken – frozen raw and cooked – from some sailors and allowing others to keep theirs when processing clearances for yachts.

“It is the lack of consistency that I am concerned about- either chicken is safe, and everyone should be able to keep it. Or it is unsafe, and if that is the case, then does Fiji now have a major biosecurity issue because some of the (BAF) officers have allowed it to come in?” she told this masthead.

Ms Moore said this disparity in enforcement had left yachties arriving in Fiji confused and frustrated.

Some had shared their different experiences with her.

One rally participant said: “We had over $300 of chicken taken in Vuda and were very upset because we didn’t know it was not permitted.

"We even checked the BAF website and found a sheet saying New Zealand chicken was fine.

"We couldn’t find anything saying chicken was not permitted.”

Another told her: “We arrived in Vuda, had all our chicken taken, but were allowed to keep our pork sausages. We only had one small bag of rubbish, but we were charged $189 for an incineration fee! That’s quite a lot.”

Others said they were permitted to keep their chicken.

“We arrived in Savusavu and were allowed to keep everything, including honey and chicken, so long as it stayed on the boat.”

Port Denarau Marina chief executive officer Cynthia Rasch said the experience at the border made a big difference to visiting sailors.

“These sailors often plan their provisioning weeks, relying on what’s published, so it can feel quite disheartening when things play out differently on arrival,” she said.

“We’ve had several yachties this season express confusion over what is and isn’t permitted when bringing poultry into Fiji. While the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji does have guidelines in place, there have been inconsistencies in how they’re applied.

“Greater consistency and clearer communication would certainly help improve the experience for sailors arriving into our marinas, while still supporting Fiji’s important biosecurity efforts.”

Port Denarau Marina.

BAF response

In response to emailed questions, BAF acting chief executive officer Surend Pratap said Fiji allowed New Zealand poultry products but under strict conditions, given the biosecurity risk associated with chicken importation.

“An outbreak of H7N6 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was confirmed by the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) on December 1, 2024, in a single commercial free-range layer poultry property in Otago, New

Biosecurity Authority of Fiji acting chief executive officer Surend Pratap. Zealand. This was the first time that HPAI had been detected in New Zealand,” said Mr Pratap.

“BAF has implemented strict biosecurity measures at the borders and suspended the provision allowing personal importation of chicken without any documentation on December 10, 2024.

“However, with close collaboration and multiple technical discussions between the BAF and MPI teams, Fiji continues to import poultry products, including for personal use, from New Zealand with an import permit accompanied by a veterinary health certificate.

“All importers must adhere to these requirements to import chicken or poultry products from New Zealand.”

Feedback: jernese.macanawai@fijisun.com.fj