BVI And USVI Sign MOU For Secure Movement Of Horses For Racing

ROADTOWN Tortola BVI, January, 17th, 2013  -  The British Virgin Islands (BVI) and United States Virgin Islands (USVI) will now have standardised regulations; essentially ensuring equine (horse) safety and the protection of the borders, between territories after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that would allow the entry of horses from either Territory for the purpose of racing.
 
The signatories included Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour, Dr. the Honourable Kedrick D. Pickering and Dr. Fred Soltero, DMV, Area Veterinarian-in-Charge, Puerto Rico Veterinary Services, United States Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Services.
 
Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour, Dr. the Honourable Kedrick D. Pickering said that the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands have had a good trading relationship and that the memorandum was just a mere formality to what had existed for generations.
 
“The US Department of Agriculture and the Department of Agriculture, under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour signs this memorandum, in an effort to pool our resources and to continue to work together to achieve safe and secure exchanges in these Virgin Islands…We have had this document go back and forth for months. What you see here today is a testament of commitment to hard work, ensuring that our relationship continues to grow,” he said.
 
  Dr. Fred Soltero said that he shared the feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment with the completion of the signing of the memorandum and that there was much work done for many months on both ends.
 
He also commented, “In APHIS we have started a new traceability agreement within all the States and now we are going to be including the BVI, which involves the tracking and the identification of all the animals being involved in movements… By signing this agreement the BVI becomes a part of that nationwide effort that is being done right now in the USDA. So we are right in the middle of the action.”
 
The previous Memorandum of Understanding was established in 2002 and expired in 2007. The new memorandum will expire in January, 2018. This memorandum in particular, allows for horses coming from the British Virgin Islands going to the United States Virgin Islands not to be put in a 10-day quarantine, which is the customary regulation put in place for all horses coming into the United States from outside territories and nations. This makes the British Virgin Islands the only Territory permitted to do so. Under the MOU each Territory has specific responsibilities for ensuring compliance with the appropriate animal health requirements.
 
The Department of Agriculture aims to be “the premier catalyst for sustainable agricultural production, institutional change and agricultural development in the agricultural sector through training; application and adoption of appropriate technology; and provision of resources, information and services.”

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