Agroterorism and Agricultural Quarantine Role

On 5th of December 2008, Agricultural Quarantine Regional Service of Soekarno-Hatta held Socialization on “Agroterorism” taken place in Bukit Randu Restaurant, Cengkareng, Tangerang. The socialization was officially opened by the Director-General of the Agency for Agricultural Quarantine, and attended by 95 participants from the Agency; Airport Metro Police Department; Airport Customs Control and Service Office; Fish Quarantine Regional Service of Soekarno-Hatta; Port Health Office I of Soekarno-Hatta; Airport Administration Office of Soekarno-Hatta; Conservation on Bio-Resources Service of Jakarta Province; the Agency for National Intelligence; Airport Management Office (Perum Angkasa Pura II) of Soekarno-Hatta; Airport Management Office of Halim Perdanakusumah; Deputy II on Protocol, Press and Media of Presidency Household Affairs; Health Detachment of Presidency Secret Service; Army Strategic Intelligence Agency; Presidency Military Secretary; Commander of Prime Air force Port of Halim Perdanakusumah; Airliners; Importers; Exporters, Structural Officials and Functional Officers of Agricultural Quarantine Regional Service of Soekarno-Hatta.
In the socialization there was a single presentation with the title of “Agroterorism and the Role of Indonesian Agricultural Quarantine” presented by C.A. Nidom from Veterinary Faculty and Tropical Disease Center of Airlangga University, Surabaya who was a member of Animal Quarantine Expert Commission of the Agency for Agricultural Quarantine, the Ministry of Agriculture.
In his presentation, he conveyed that “Agricultural Quarantine as the first line of defense, in its role to prevent the introduction and further spread of Quarantine Pests and Diseases, has a strategic role in the frame of early detection to chemical and biological materials imported to Indonesian Territory, which intentionally and/or unintentionally being agroterorism agents”.
"Strategic position should be played the part optimally by Agricultural Quarantine, together with Indonesian Nation Component ", he further said.
Quarantine should active and creative not only as an executor of policy prepared by any other related institutions in early detection toward chemical and biological matters introduced to Indonesia.
In order to implement the measures, Quarantine should be supported by sufficient equipments, committed human resources, and collaboration with any other competent institutions to safeguard Indonesia Archipelago from any infiltration of chemical and biological materials coming from other countries and/or parties which could disturb national safety, politic and economic stability.
The agenda should be followed up with concrete steps, namely: (1) intensive and integrated coordination of cross sectoral institutions; (2) development of laboratory and complete equipments in the Airport in order to control the introduction of chemical and biological materials into Indonesian Territory which had potency in disturbing national safety, politic and economic stability; (3) controlling passengers and goods intensively and integrative not only in international but also domestic traffic as well among CIQ member in the Airport, especially in application of X-ray device.
The above mentioned matters showed how big and hard the role of Agricultural Quarantine in the future. Referensi www.karantina.deptan.go.id