Port accessThe course emphasises the need to highlight the importance of these border controls, which are “essential – as Carlos García Buendía, Subdelegate of the Government in Bizkaia, explains – to protect us all.”
The course is to be given by civil servants from the Departments of Agriculture and Fisheries and Health and Social Policy, together with representatives from SOIVRE, and will be attended by members of the Civil Guard stationed at the border controls in the Port of Bilbao.
The Subdelegation of the Government in Bizkaia is today holding a training session, in collaboration with the Bilbao Port Authority, on the screening of personal luggage and pets arriving from third countries at the Port of Bilbao.
The course is to be given by civil servants from the Departments of Agriculture and Fisheries and Health and Social Policy, together with representatives from SOIVRE, and will be attended by members of the Civil Guard stationed at the border controls in the Port of Bilbao.
The course, taking place today in the auditorium of the Bilbao Port Authority, highlights the need to recognise the importance of these controls, “essential – as Carlos García Buendía, Subdelegate of the Government in Bizkaia, explains – to protect us all.” “They are an essential preventive measure, in which inspectors and border control staff play a key role, combining technical knowledge, responsibility and a commitment to public service, acting as the first line of defence against health risks and guiding travellers.”
Travel to other countries often involves the movement of food, plants or pets that may pose a risk in the country of entry without adequate control. The screening of travellers’ luggage and pets on arrival at the Port of Bilbao, and, therefore, in the Basque Country and the European Union, is of the utmost importance.
On the one hand, luggage checks can detect products that may cause or transmit diseases or pests affecting people, agriculture or livestock, and jeopardise health and/or production safety.
Furthermore, checks on travellers’ pets ensure that dogs, cats, birds and/or other animals travel in safe conditions and meet the necessary health requirements. In this way, the health of people and animals is protected, risks are avoided and public health is safeguarded, preventing the entry of diseases such as rabies, for example, as well as protecting the environment and the country’s resources.
