Welcome to the Official Website of the Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and Blue Economy
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Border Control and Support Division

Biosecurity Section

Our Mission

To protect the biodiversity of Seychelles, and the agriculture and fisheries sectors from new and existing biosecurity threats within an increasingly globalized trading environment.

Our Vision (Destination 2022)

We are a fully articulated effective biosecurity system with a network of highly-engaged stakeholders.

Our Core Values

  • We believe in Seychelles First as our primary corporate responsibility is to protect the national territory from invasive alien species.
  • We are committed to upholding the true spirit of the Animal and Plant Biosecurity Act.
  • We value our partnership with our strategic partners and our local talents and we believe in making the right investment to attract and retain the best in class.

Strategic Objectives (Our Picture of Success)

Our picture of success brings more clarity to our vision and provides us with a framework to target key deliverables underpinning our vision and serves as a means to measure progress and success.

Strategic Objectives
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Monitoring and Intervention

To achieve a zero tolerance with regard to the introduction and spread of Invasive Alien Species.

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Service Delivery Level

To achieve an overall customer satisfaction rating of not less than 75% across all portfolio of services and to improve cost recovery initiatives.

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Full Compliance

To fully comply with all local biosecurity legal and regulatory requirements and international standards and obligations.

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A Productive Networking

To build a strategic network of highly engaged and biosecurity concerned partners and to benefit more from our local, regional and international affiliations.

The Strategic choices (The Priority Areas)

Our strategic choices (priority areas) have been formulated from the analysis of the SWOT profile captured following the internal and external analysis of our business in alignment with our mission, vision and strategic objectives. We have identified five priority areas to ensure the right mix of workload and to stay focus on our core purpose and vision.

 

🛡️ INCREASE SURVEILLANCE MONITORING AND INTERVENTION PROGRAMS
Increase the volume of surveillance, monitoring and intervention programs (baseline of 2017 figures) to improve the level of preparedness and rapid response to potential and existing biosecurity threats.

 

🔄 REMODEL SERVICE DELIVERY SYSTEM
Remodel the service delivery system to facilitate trade, compliance, cost recovery and customer satisfaction.

 

✅ MEET COMPLIANCE OBLIGATION
Invest in mission critical resources to meet WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards and other international obligations.

 

📢 INVEST IN PUBLIC EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT
Invest in public education programs and projects to instill a greater level of public sensitivity and positive behavioral change in response to the real threat of biosecurity intrusion in the local ecosystem and the production landscape.

 

🤝 BUILD STRATEGIC NETWORK
Build effective partnership and network development with local and international entities to elevate the organizational capability and competency to deal with more complex biosecurity problems.

Entry, transit and departure of passengers and crew

Pests, diseases, weeds and Invasive Alien Species (IAS) can be spread from one country to another through the movement of plants, animals, plant and animal products.

In Seychelles there are restrictions on what can be taken into the country in relation to plants, animals and their products thereof which are categorized as regulated articles or restricted goods.

The movement and/or importation of plants, animals and their products into the Seychelles are subject to import controls under the Animal and Plant Biosecurity Act, 2014.

The import control measures apply to prevent the establishment and spread of Invasive Alien Species, animal and plant pests and diseases that can harm human health, the agricultural economy, biodiversity and the environment of the country.

Entry, transit and departure of cargo

Pursuant to the Animal and Plant Biosecurity Act 2014 and its subsidiary legislations, as a regulated the movement in and out the Republic of Seychelles of any animal, plants and/or its product thereof is subject to biosecurity import and/or export control.

It involves the control of the movement of animals, plants and their products in order to prevent the establishment and spread of invasive alien species and animal and plant pests and diseases that can harm human health, the agricultural economy of a country and biodiversity.

Five (5) steps for importation of animals, plants and animal and plant products into the Seychelles

STEP 1
Submit Application
Submit your application with the approved lists of Animals or Plants or Animal Products or Plant Products as per quotation or invoice provided by your supplier of the exporting country to National Biosecurity Services (NBS) for approval of a single Biosecurity Import Permit (BIP) per consignment.

STEP 2
Obtain Biosecurity Import Permit (BIP)
A single-use Biosecurity Import Permit (BIP) per consignment will be approved and issued by NBS based on the approved list of products and market access to Seychelles.

STEP 3
Send Permit to Supplier & Ensure Compliance
Send the approved Biosecurity Import Permit (BIP) to your supplier in the exporting country so that all conditions stated on the permit or attached documents are complied with before shipment.

STEP 4
Obtain Official Certification
Ensure that you receive an official Phytosanitary Certificate or Additional Treatment Certificate from your supplier, issued by the competent authority of the exporting country, certifying compliance of the products shipped to Seychelles.

STEP 5
Arrival, Verification & Inspection
Upon arrival at the point of entry (Seaport, Airport or Post Office), present both the Biosecurity Import Permit and Phytosanitary Certificate to Biosecurity Officers for verification and inspection before release.

Important Note – Entry, Transit and Departure of Cargo

Pursuant to the Animal and Plant Biosecurity Act 2014 and its subsidiary legislation, the movement in and out of the Republic of Seychelles of any animal, plant and/or their products is subject to biosecurity import and/or export control.

This control aims to prevent the establishment and spread of invasive alien species and animal and plant pests and diseases that may harm human health, the agricultural economy, and biodiversity.

Agriculture Quarantine

Please help us retain and sustain Seychelles pest and disease-free status by preventing and reducing the risk of pest and diseases introduction, establishment and spread including Invasive Alien Species (IAS) in order to protect and preserve food security, biodiversity and the environment of the country.

Animals and Animal Products

All animal and animal products authorized to be imported into the country must come accompanied with a valid original veterinary certificate written in English or French, dated, duly signed and stamped issued by the Veterinary Authority of the exporting country.

All live animal imported into the country must undergo a specified period of post arrival quarantine at the designated Biosecurity Quarantine Facility. Biosecurity import conditions for regulated articles to be imported into the country can be obtained the animal Biosecurity Section on the address below. It is the responsibility of the importer or its agent to ensure that they are compliant with the current relevant statutes and import conditions at the time of importation.

Plants and plants products

Imports of plants and plant products (e.g. live plants, cuttings, fruits, vegetables, cut flowers) into the Seychelles are subject to import controls under laws of Seychelles, namely the Animal and Plant Biosecurity Act, 2014. A Plant Import Permit is required in advance for consignments of plants and plant products to enter the Republic of Seychelles.

A valid Phytosanitary Certificate issued by the national plant protection organization (NPPO) of the exporting country is required for all plants and plant products. All fruits, vegetables, plants, cuttings, bulbs, seeds or other unprocessed plant products must be declared at Customs and presented for quarantine inspection

All live animal imported into the country must undergo a specified period of post arrival quarantine at the designated Biosecurity Quarantine Facility. Biosecurity import conditions for regulated articles to be imported into the country can be obtained the animal Biosecurity Section on the address below. It is the responsibility of the importer or its agent to ensure that they are compliant with the current relevant statutes and import conditions at the time of importation.

What Should You Do?

Visitors as well as returning residents to the Seychelles should ensure that they do not introduce pests, diseases or IAS inadvertently through their baggage, personal effects, cargo and other materials.

Therefore, you should;

Adhere to the laws and procedures when bringing in Biosecurity risk materials/products/ goods.
Refrain from moving plants and animals which are restricted or controlled from one island to another.
Refrain from bringing in plant cuttings, seeds, propagative materials, fresh fruits and vegetables, animal parts, eggs and other organic or biosecurity risk materials from overseas travels.

DECLARE IT!

Make Biosecurity your Business by DECLARING all Food, Plants, Animals and their Products in order to protect the Seychelles from the introduction of New Pest and Diseases.