- Prevent the introduction and establishment of exotic pest and disease species.
- Delay, control, and eradicate, when possible, any pest or disease that has already been introduced.
Regional Directorate of Quarantine Services
Objectives:
Plant Quarantine and Control of Imports of Animal Origin
In recent decades, commercial exchange has experienced a significant increase among countries from different geographic areas. Nowadays, there is a constant flow of the most diverse goods arriving in OIRSA region countries from various origins, being transported by different means, in large volumes, and extremely short periods.
As a consequence of the dynamics of the global economy, we observe the modernization and diversification of means of transportation. Importers and exporters have at their disposal a wide range of options for mobilizing perishable and non-perishable goods at competitive prices and with complete coverage of the global market. Therefore, it is not uncommon to see an agricultural product harvested in the morning in any OIRSA country arrive in excellent condition almost anywhere in the world by night of the same day. However, this exchange is bidirectional, as the markets in the OIRSA region also receive daily shipments of products from almost every continent.
This reality undoubtedly strengthens the economies of the OIRSA member states and, in a way, also ensures the food security of their people, significantly increasing the risk of arrival, establishment, and spread of pests and diseases that can affect agriculture and livestock, as well as consumer health.
The arrival of agricultural products and by-products in OIRSA countries constitutes an important means of transportation for pests and diseases. However, the transportation methods used for the mobilization of these goods are also a risk factor, as they transport organisms (insect pests, weed seeds, mollusks, etc.) that are not directly associated with the product being transported but are carried around the world on aircraft, ships, vehicles, and cargo containers.
International trade is not the only activity that has experienced a dramatic increase in recent years. The movement of tourists has also grown significantly worldwide. Thus, the multiple transportation options, competitive prices, and new tourist destination proposals have positioned OIRSA countries on the leisure and entertainment agenda of hundreds of thousands of tourists, causing millions of people to enter their ports, airports, and land borders daily.
In addition to the above, an important risk factor is the increasingly frequent occurrence of climatological phenomena (hurricanes, cyclones, tropical storms, droughts, and floods) resulting from climate change, which facilitates the spread of crop and animal pests and diseases and their dissemination throughout the region.
In response to this situation, OIRSA, through its Quarantine Services, works hand in hand with the Ministries and Secretariats of Agriculture and Livestock of the member countries to prevent the entry of pests and diseases that threaten the phytosanitary and zoosanitary health of the region.
Services in support of agricultural quarantine
Ing. José Iván Hernández
Director Regional de Servicios Cuarentenarios a.i.
Lines of action of Quarantine Services
Methodology by teaching areas:
Basic training area
Phytosanitary information area
Quarantine application area
Through this System, quarantine authorities in the region are informed about interceptions of pests, rejections, origins, prohibitions, or any other information deemed important for protecting the regional agricultural heritage.
The establishment and development of a remote pest diagnosis system in the national agricultural quarantine services of OIRSA member countries allow for the submission of pest images to specialists who assist in identifying specific pests.