Presented by Sachita Jawaheer-Unath Ras

1. Regional Training Workshop on the Use of International Plant Protection Portal - Country Presentation 27October – 01 September 2010, Pretoria, South Africa Presented by Sachita Jawaheer-Unath Ras

2. Outline of presentation • Mauritius – a contracting party to IPPC • Legislations regarding Plant Protection • Contact Point • Regulated Pest List • Pest Reporting • Specified Points of entry • Emergency Measures • Phytosanitary requirements, restrictions and prohibitions • Non Compliance • Organisational arrangements for Plant Protection • Implementation of ISPM 15 • Webpages • Information exchange activities in the framework of the IPPC in Mauritius • Experience using the IPP

3. Mauritius is a contracting party of the IPPC since 11 June 1971

4. Legislations regarding Plant Protection • Plant Protection Act 2006 • Passed on 16 May 2006 & repealed the Plants Act 1976. • The latter has been providing the necessary legal provisions to administer all regulatory phytosanitary measures but was having numerous shortcomings: • Legal provisions were not in conformity with International obligations (IPPC, SPS of the WTO, SADC, IOC) • Terms & definitions not up to date and the act did not cater for changes in the field of biosecurity • There was no provisions of setting up of a NPPO • Functions of Officers were not clearly defined and limited powers • Phytosanitary measures in relation to import and export were not clearly defined.

5. Legislations regarding Plant Protection • The new PPA 2006 provides for a better modern legal framework for the protection of plant health and biosecurity control. There are many new provisions in the PPA 2006: • Introduction of numerous new terms and definitions which are in conformity with ISPM No 5 based on the New Revised Text of the IPPC • Establishment of NPPO as stipulated in Art IV of the IPPC Convention • Empowerment of Officers with well defined powers to operate within a modern framework • Possible penalties in case of offense • Declaration of regulated pests based on Pest Risk Analysis, Pest free Areas and Areas of Low Prevalence • Establishment of procedures and phytosanitary measures for inspection of agricultural commodities for import, export, re-export and in-transit

6. Official Contact Point • Name: Ms. Neeta Rye Leckraz • Title/Position: Divisional Scientific Officer • Organization: Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security • Address: National Plant Protection Office, Réduit, Mauritius • Correspondence language(s): French; English • Telephone: (+230) 464 4872 • Fax: (+230) 465 9591 • E-mail: moa-pathology@mail.gov.mu

7. Description of NPPO • The National Plant protection Service is the defence arm of the Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security in Mauritius. • mandate: - protect the country’s agricultural economy and natural resources Responsibilities of the National Plant protection Service (in relation to the implementation of measures to protect plant health and human health as part of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO)) • to protect plant life or health and to prevent or limit damage from risks arising from entry, establishment or spread of plants;

8. Activities of the NPPO • to implement quarantine regulations under the Plant Protection Act (2006); • to regulate and enforce activities as well as biosecurity measures and the implementation of Quarantine Protocols e.g White Grub Protocol with Reunion, protocol on Giant African Snail with Australia • Policy formulation of Phytosanitary measure related to International Trade; • to implement SPS measures in the context of WTO; • to provide a wide range of services to importers, exporters and the planting community ; • Phytosanitary certification • Inspection and Clearance of imported Agricultural Commodities • Pest Risk Analysis • to carry research and development activities in specialised disciplines of phytopathology and quarantine

9. Regulated Pest List • List of Quarantine Pests (under Schedule 1 of the PPA 2006) • List of Regulated non-quarantine pests Pest Reporting • Phytophthoracapsici(2004) • Neotoxopteraformosana, onion aphid (2005) • Ophelimusmaskelli, eucalyptus gall wasp (2005) • Ralstoniasolanacearum race 3 biovar 2 (2008) • Tomato yellow Leaf Curl Virus (2009)

10. Specified Points of Entry Sir Seewoosagar Ramgoolam International Airport, Plaine Magnien • Plant and Animal Quarantine Sub Office (Passenger terminal) Tel: + (230) 637 6232 Fax:: + (230) 637 3194 • Sub office at Plaisance Air Transfer services (Inspection and Clearance of imported agricultural cargo) Tel: + (230) 637 7371 Port Louis Harbour • Mer Rouge Sub Office (phytosanitary Certification & fumigation) Tel: + (230) 242 8284 Fax: + (230) 240 4479 • Counter at Passenger Terminal • Sub Office in Ports Area (containers inspection) Tel: + (230) 216 8488

11. Emergency Measures

12. Phytosanitary requirements, restrictions and prohibitions • Regulations have been prepared and are being vetted at the State law Office • Regulated articles and classification of pest • Importation Requirements. • Permit application and approval • Notification of arrival and operation procedures • Export and Re-Export procedures • Phytosanitary Certification • In transit consignments and procedures • Seizure and detention • Fees • Plant protection Committee • List of regulated articles • List of prohibited article

13. Non compliance

14. Organizational arrangements for Plant Protection National Plant Protection Office Main Office (Reduit) Registry and Stores Reduit Harbour (sub Office) Airport (Sub Office) 1. Operation of the SPS Enquiry Point of the WTO 2. IPPC contact Point under the FAO 3. Linkages with SADC, COMESA, IOC, IAPSC, FAO Terminal (Unit) Plaisance Air Transfer Services (Unit) Incinerator (Unit) Custom House (Upcoming) (Unit) Container terminal (Unit) Mer Rouge (Unit) Passenger Terminal (Unit) Fumigation Plant Permit Office Laboratory Greenhouse Incinerator Plant (new) Mycology Plant Quarantine Greenhouses Plant Import Permit Bacteriology Citrus Conservatory Heat Treatment Plant (upcoming) Phytosanitary Certification Virology Containment for Tissue Culture Plantlets Nematology Quarantine/PRA Multipurpose Containment facility (upcoming) for GM planting materials, biocontrol agents and high risk planting materials

15. Implementation of ISPM 15 • Mauritius implements ISPM 15 since 2005 • Accredited 3 private operators for heat treatment of wood packaging materials • Heat treatment facility being procured by the NPPO, tendering process. IPPC MU 001 MB

16. Webpages • NPPO Website

17. Information exchange activities in the framework of the IPPC in Mauritius • One day meeting with all stakeholders (research institution, university, and government bodies) – highlighting • the reporting obligations towards IPPC, • importance of phytosanitary information the portal, • role of IPPC contact point, • benefits etc

18. Indian Ocean Crop protection Network. • gain from the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) / European Union (EU) funded project “Project Régional de Protection des Végétaux” - Web Link

19. Indian Ocean Crop Protection Network. • plant pests (description, identification, database) • Plant protection (control methods, disease leaflets, use of pesticides) • Rules and regulations (import/export procedures) • Information corner (Mailing list, directory of professionals, glossary &useful links and contact points) • Documentation (bulletins, periodicals, regional books, on line publications, etc) • Information available on the network is alimented from national data on crop pests and diseases and control methods. • The network is available by internet access to private operators, pesticide distributors, importers and exporters of fruits and vegetables/seeds/plants, Chamber of Agriculture, Producers groups etc.

20. Indian Ocean Crop Protection Network • Disease leaflets • Fruits (bacterial canker of citrus, citrus fruit rot, bactrocera invadens, cyclamen mites, grey mould /aphids/thrips of strawberry, bacterial black spot of mango, fruit flies, banana weevil, long horn beetle) • Flowers (bacterial wild of anthurium, cypress aphid, cutworms, Iris yellow spot virus, leaf miner, spiralling white flies) • Vegetables (criniviruses of tomato, bacterial rot of onion, IYSV, mildew of onions, cutworms. Leafminers, downy mildew of cucurbits, clubroots of crucifers, ZYMV, onion thrips, whiteflies, mites, melon fly, black rots of crucifers, bacterial wilt) • Aromatic herbs (viruses of vanilla) • Alerts • Cochenille du papayier de la Reunion

21. Information exchange • Pest Alert on Bactrocera invadens (3000) distributed to importers, producers and other stakeholders) • Pest and disease control of fruit trees • Exotic fruit fly surveillance. • Booklet on Quarantine pests for Mauritius - under preparation • International databases • International Phytosanitary portal • The Crop Protection Compendium (CPC) from CAB International. • European and Mediteranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO)

22. Experience with the IPP • The IPP is a very quick and efficient way to access phytosanitary information on different countries. • The IPP facilitate communication and allow information sharing between countries. • The IPP provides data on pest biology/distribution, host range, pest free areas, regulations, pest status etc facilitate during Pest Risk Analysis prior to importation from many countries. • Sharing of information supports transparency and risk analysis by • promoting control of pests and preventing their spread • Sharing of technical information on which decisions are based • Encouraging use of international standards • Safe trade in plants and plants products • Information used to assess risks associated with moving plant/plants products across borders and to manage those risks. • The different publications and reports of meetings allow update of latest developments under IPPC countries

23. Thank you for your attention