Quarantine confiscates veggies, seafood products

The Division of Quarantine yesterday confiscated approximately 400 pounds of imported vegetables and seafood products consigned to individuals originating from South Korea and the Republic of Palau.

The items were seized from DS Corporation (dba XO Market) and DaeSan Corporation (dba New Mart) by Quarantine Inspection Officer Juanette Camacho due to lack of proper documents that would declare the products as safe to enter Saipan.

Giant clams reportedly endangered in Palau brought in by a Palauan nationa, are currently being held by Quarantine officials for further investigation.

Quarantine said it still has to confer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife in Guam for further instruction.

Several packs of orange caviar, six containers of large-size clams, one bag of sea cucumber, three cases of small tomatoes, nine small cartons of spinach, seven boxes of mushrooms, and eight boxes of lettuce were confiscated from the two establishments operating retail stores on Saipan.

Ms. Camacho indicated that though contents of the shipments were “importable,” it contained traces of bacteria and fungi which could jeopardize the health of Saipan consumers.

Quarantine officials said importers may have left the items in their containers for a week or so prior to importation.
“That’s why molds and fungi have grown,” said Ms. Camacho.

The division also reminded the importers to secure the necessary documents or permits before such items can be cleared and allowed entry.

“Some of them are actually “enterable” but they don’t have the necessary supporting documents,” said Ms. Camacho.

“Anything live, they have to acquire a permit. Likewise, for anything dead, they have to secure the same,” she added.

Moreover, the cargo also contained a bag full of garlic stems which is strictly prohibited for import into the CNMI.

“We don’t grow this particular kind of garlic stems. It can propagate here that’s why we can’t allow this to pass through,” said the inspector.

The shipment also included a box of rooted onions which Quarantine fears may also propagate in the CNMI.

The division also seized from the Palauan woman a cooler full of sea products which included fish and octopus.

Properly documented, the fish was cleared by Quarantine while the octopus was found without marine declaration papers.

Consignees have already consulted with the Quarantine as regards to the next procedure to be done with the confiscated items.

The products will be up for incineration at the consignees’ expense, which is at 79 cents per pound.

“Again this is to advice all the consignees and importers out there that Quarantine is strict in its inspection. They are out there to protect the health of our plants and animals here in the Commonwealth,” said Marian Teregeyo, special assistant for correspondence at the Department of Lands and Natural Resources.

“We would like to reiterate to all consignees and importers that when you ship items in, please make sure that you [secure] the right documents so this doesn’t happen to you.

“Obviously, this is a waste of their money, and they have to pay for the incineration costs from their own pockets,” she added.
Confiscated items are burned in the same process as all the rubbish accumulated from every flight that has arrived in the CNMI, according to Ms. Teregeyo.

This is not the first time that Quarantine officials were able to detect contaminated vegetables and other products from the these companies. (MM)