The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment in collaboration with Hatta Customs Center confiscated on Saturday, August 27, 250 smuggled sheep that were entering from Oman through the Hatta border port crossing. The operation was part of the Ministry’s efforts to preserve the health of both the public and animals and to prevent the spread of infectious animal diseases.
The sheep were seized after security officials at the border port crossing inspected a truck that is designated for fish transportation. After inspection, the sheep that were found inside were in poor health due to shipping conditions that do not abide to hygiene criteria.
H.E. Eng Saif Mohammed Al-Shara, the ministry’s assistant undersecretary for the external audit sector said: “The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment plays an important role in applying the federal rules and regulations that pertain to protecting animals from malpractices which include smuggling. These could lead to spreading infectious diseases between animals and humans which have a negative effect on public health in addition to incurring losses in local livestock. To combat these practices, the ministry’s external audit sector works in collaboration with the ministry of interior and other responsible authorities to crack down on violators.”
He said that smuggling live animals is a clear violation of federal legislations governing the importation of animals such as Articles 2, 4 and 5 of Federal Law No. (6) of 1979 on veterinary quarantine. The articles ban the entry of imported animals and meat without properly undergoing quarantine procedures put in place to prevent an epidemic of infectious animal diseases. They also state that animals imported by land, sea or air must go through proper veterinary procedures and mandate that consignments must be accompanied by an official veterinary health certificate issued by the country of origin to verify that the animals have been thoroughly checked and are free of any infectious disease before shipment.
The smugglers also breached Federal Law No. (16) of 2007 on animal welfare as the seized animals were in poor health as they were crammed into the trucks during transport.
H.E. Eng. Al-Shara said that the only legal way to import livestock into the country is through the ministry and by following the laws and legislations that regulate the importation process through the ministry’s 18 official veterinarian quarantine centers – 6 air, 5 sea and 7 land. Live animals can only be imported into the UAE through these entry points.
These centers are managed by specialized staff and are equipped with the latest tools and equipment that are necessary to ensure that entering live animals are free of infectious diseases, that they conform to importation regulations and that they have the official permits and certificates from the country of origin to ensure public safety and the health of local live animals.