UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine Y7ashington, P. C. B. E. P. ft.— 378 July 10, 1935. PLANT-QUARANTINE IMPORT RESTRICTIONS OF 3HE COLONY OF THE BAHAMA ISLANDS, B. W. I. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/bahamaisla35unit UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Bureau of .Entomology and Plant Quarantine Washington, D. C. B. 3. P. Q.— 378 . July 10, 1935 PLANT-QUARANTINE IMPORT RESTRICTIONS OF THE COLONY OF THE BAHAMA ISLANDS, B. 7. I. This summary of the plant -quarantine import restrictions of the Colony of the Bahama Islands, B. "J. I., has been prepared for the in- formation of nurserymen, plant quarantine officials, and others in- terested in the exportation of plants and plant products to that Colony. It was prepared by Harry B. Shaw, Pathologist in Charge, For- eign Service Information, Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, from the texts of the Plants Protection Act, 1916, and of the Rules promulgated thereunder, and reviewed by the Agricultural Instructor, Agricultural and Marine Products Board-, of the Colony. The information contained in this circular is believed to be correct and complete up to the time of preparation, but it is not in- tended to be used independently of, nor as a substitute for, the original texts, and it is not to be interpreted as legally authori- tative. The original legislation should be consulted for the exact texts. LEE A. STRONG, C hief, Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine PLANT-QUARANTINE IMPORT RESTRICTIONS OF TIIE COLONY OF THE BAHAMA. ISLANDS, B. I?. I. CONCISE SUMMARY Under the provisions of the Plants Protection Act, 1916, the Governor in Council, upon recommendation of the Board, may absolutely or conditionally prohibit the importation of any plant material from any country or place. The Proclamation of January 22, 1917, prohibits the importa- tion of pineapple 3lips ( Ananas sativus Schult.) from the islands of Cuba and Jamaica, (See p # 5.) The Proclamation of April 30, 1918, prohibits the importation into the Colony of plantain and banana plants ( Musa spp.) from any source, (See p. 5,) Plants, fruits, and vegetables from the State of Florida, U. S. A, must be accompanied by a certificate issued by the United States Fed- eral Department of Agriculture affirming that the products concerned were produced and packed in an area in which no Mediterranean fruit fly has been found. (See p. 5.) Except as indicated above, the importation of fruits and vege- tables for consumption as food is not restricted. All plants (as defined in section 2 of the Act), offered for entry into the Colony, shall be delivered to the Comptroller of Customs for examination by an inspector, with treatment according to the find- ings. However, inspection may be waived if the plants are accompanied by a certificate issued by a State authority at the place from which the plants were exported, affirming that the place from which the plants have come is free from any harmful or dangerous disease. BASIC LEGISLATION Plants Protection Act, 1916. (Aug, 1, 1916) Section 1. This Act may be cited as the Plants protection Act DEFINITIONS Sec. 2, The following definitions are included in this sec- tion: {a) "Plant" includes tree, shrub, herb, or vegetable; cut- tings, bulbs, seeds, berries, buds, and grafts; the fruit or product of any plant; the root, trunk, stem, branch, or leaf of any plant; and the whole or any part of any grow- ing, dying, or dead plant, including emptied pods, husks, or skins; but it shall not be deemed to include imported vegetables or fruit intended for consumption as food and not for propagation. (J>) "Plant disease" means any deterioration or destruction of plants or parts of plants capable of being communicated to other plants or parts of plants, whether such deterioration or destruction be due to disease, insects, blight, fungus, or any other cause, {c) "Packages" includes boxes, coverings, wrappers, earth, soil, or anything whatsoever in which plants are imported. (ji) "Board" means the Board established under the Agricultural and Marine products Board Act, or any Act constituting such a board. Sec. 3. Empowers the Governor to appoint inspectors. PLANTS MAY BE IMPORTED ONLY SUBJECT TO THE HILES Sec. 4. No plants whatsoever, nor the packages thereof shall be imported into the Colony except under and subject to the rules. GOVERNOR EMPOTOED TO RESTRICT OR PROHIBIT ENTRY OF PLANTS Sec. 5. The Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Board established under the Agricultural and Marine Products Board Act may by proclamation absolutely or conditionally prohibit the importa- tion, directly or indirectly, from any country or place, of any plants or any article packed therewith, or any package which in the opinion of the Governor in Council are, or are likely to be, means of introduc- ing any plant disease- into the Colony; or prohibit for such time as may be named in the proclamation the importation of any plants or the pack- ages thereof at any ports of the Colony therein named. BOARD AUTHORIZED TO MAIS RULES Sec. 6. The Board, with the approval of the Governor in Council, may make rules in respect of the importation, detention, examination, removal, and treatment before, at, or after importation or landing of ar -3- plants or articles packed therewith, or any packages to which this Act applies; the cleansing, disinfection, purification, and treatment of the same; the destruction of the same before, at, or after the landing of the same, if such destruction be necessary in the opinion of the Board. RULES PROMULGATED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE PLANTS PROTECTION ACT (Approved by the Governor in Council Oct. 2, 1916) CONDITIONS 0? ENTRY Article 1. No plants whatsoever, as defined by the Act, nor the packages that contain the same, shall be imported into the Colony except under the following conditions: AUTHORIZED PORT OF ENTRY (a) All such plants and packages shall be landed at the port of Nassau, except when permission has been obtained from the Board to land the same at any other port or place in the Colony, upon such conditions as may be de- termined by the Board. SHIPMENTS TO BE DELIVERED TO COMPTROLLER OF CUSTOMS (Jd) All such plants and packages shall be delivered up by the importer to the Comptroller of Customs, who shall cause them to be conveyed to such place as shall be determined by the Board, and the Comptroller may also for such purpose take charge of any such plants and packages immediately on their arrival in the Colony, and prior to the delivery thereof to the importer. Upon such delivery the Comptroller shall give to the importer a receipt shoeing the time and date of such delivery, DISINFECTION MAY BE WAIVED IF FETTOSANITARY CERTIFICATE PRESENTED Art. 2. If the importer of any plants imported under these rules produces to the Board a certificate of a recognized State authority at the place from which such plants wore exported that the nursery, planta- tion, field, or land from which the plants have come is free from any harmful or dangerous disease, such plants and the packages that con- tain the same will be delivered to the importer without undergoing any process of fumigation or disinfection', unless the Board deem it other- wise necessary. If no such certificate is produced, it shall be the duty of the inspector to examine such plants and packages, and if he is satisfied that they are free from any harmful or dangerous disease he shall, on obtaining the authority of the Chairman of the Board, de- liver the same to the importer. IMPORTED PLANT MATERIAL MAY BE DISINFECTED Art. 3. If the Board deem it necessary, any plants and pack- ages imported under these rules may be fumigated, disinfected, cleansed, purified, and treated in such manner and under such condition as the Board may consider adequate for the destruction of any vegetable or insect pests that may possibly be on or among such plants and packages. No liability shall attach to the Board in respect of any damage occa- sioned by such treatment. Art. 4. All plants and packages imported under these rules may be seized by and forfeited to the Board, and may be destroyed or other- wise dealt with as the Governor in Council may direct. Art. 5. All plants and packages shall be moved from any place of fumigation or other treatment by the importer within 24 hours after he has been required by the Board to remove the same. Failing such re- moval, the Governor in Council shall be at liberty to order the destruc tion of such plants and packages or deal otherwise with them at the discretion of the Board. PROCEDURE FOR MAIL SHIPMENTS It is required that the importer of plants shipped to the Colony by mail shall at once notify an inspector and the postal official also shall notify the inspector within 24 hours of the arrival of the ship- ment. The importer shall not take possession of such a shipment until an inspector 1 3 certificate has been issued. Mail shipments of plants shall be treated in accordance with the provisions of article 3, if dee] necessary. CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN REQUIRED FOR PLANT I1ATERIAL FROM FLORIDA (Proclamation gazetted Oct. 12, 1929) TJhereas the Proclamation of July 31, 1929, prohibited the impor- .5- UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA lillllll llllllll 3 1262 09245 1706 tat ion of plants, fruits, or vegetables into the Colony from the State of Florida, U. S. A., until October 31, 1929, the said prohibition is hereby varied to the extent that until further notice the importation into the Bahama Islands, directly or indirectly, from any port or place in the said State of Florida, of the said products is prohibited unless they are accompanied by a certificate issued by the United States Depart- ment of Agriculture affirming that they have been produced and packed in an area in which no Mediterranean fruit fly ( Ceratitis capitata 7ied.) has been found. IMPORTATION OF PINEAPPLE SLIPS PROHIBITED FROM CUBA AND JAMAICA (Proclamation of Jan. 22, 1917) The importation of pineapple slips ( Ananas sativus Schult.) from the islands of Cuba and Jamaica is hereby absolutely prohibited to prevent the introduction of the pineapple weevil ( Metamasius ritchiei Marshall) . IMPORTATION OF BANANAS AND PLAI'TAINS PROHIBITED (Proclamation of Apr. 30, 1918) The importation of plantain and banana plants ( Musa spp.) into the Colony is absolutely prohibited to prevent the introduction of the banana root borer ( Cosmopolites sordidus Germ. ) •