The Quarantine Department, formerly under the Ministry of Agriculture, began its operations in 1981. Its first task was to eliminate the threats posed to Belize by the interception of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly in the states of Florida and California in the USA. Ever since, the Quarantine Department is considered the first line of defense against the introduction of any foreign pest or disease that could be a threat to animal, plant or human health through inspection and certification programmes. Quarantine Inspectors are at all official point of entry and are responsible for the inspection of luggage, vehicles, commodities and any receptacle that may be considered a vehicle for the introduction of pests or diseases.

The Quarantine Departments' main activities are:

1. To maintain an efficient inspection service at ports of entry to prevent the introduction of exotic pests and diseases.
2. To guarantee compliance with quality standards of imported products destined for consumption, agricultural use and service oriented activities through inspection.
3. To certify pest and disease free status as well as the quality and standards of our export commodities.
4. Maintain local surveillance programmes to curtail and intercept illegally imported products of quarantine importance.
5. To make the Quarantine/BAHA a model organization within our area by capacitating our inspectors to give the public the best possible service without compromising our legislative nature.
6. Maintain database that verifies our Quarantine Status and facilitates trace-backs.

BELIZE MAP SHOWING QUARANTINE STATIONS

QUARANTINE & INSPECTION SERVICE ORGANOGRAM