US embassy cable - 03TEGUCIGALPA2997

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002997 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EB/TPP/ABT BARBARA YODER AND WHA/CEN 
USDA/FAS/DLP FOR HOWARD WETZEL 
GUATEMALA FOR AGATT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, ETRD, PGOV, HO 
SUBJECT: Honduras Announces Suspension of U.S. Beef Imports 
 
REF: A) STATE 348293, B) SAN SALVADOR 03518 
 
1.  Summary: The Government of Honduras has announced a 
suspension of imports of U.S. beef and its derivatives, in 
accordance with guidelines issued by the OIE (World 
Organization for Animal Health).  The Honduran ban does not 
include dairy products or other products considered to carry 
no risk of BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy).  End 
Summary. 
 
2.  As early as December 25th, the Honduran press quoted Dr. 
Lizardo Reyes, Director of the GOH's Office of Animal 
Health, as declaring a ban on imports of U.S. beef. 
However, no official pronouncement was made until December 
29th, when Dr. Reyes, along with the Minister of Agriculture 
and Livestock Mariano Jimenez, held a press conference and 
released the statement translated below. 
 
3.  EconOff spoke with Dr. Reyes after the press conference, 
and delivered the talking points in ref A.  Dr. Reyes 
stressed that Honduras is simply conforming to OIE 
guidelines, and is not following any resolution of OIRSA 
(Regional International Organization for Agricultural 
Health) such as that mentioned in ref B.  (Note: In fact, 
when listing the products not covered by the ban, the third 
paragraph of the press release follows nearly word-for-word 
the OIE guidelines for restrictions of imports from 
countries with a high risk of BSE, as available on-line at 
http://www.oie.int/esp/normes/mcode/E_00068.h tm. End note.) 
 
4.  Dr. Reyes also made positive statements to the effect 
that he was sure that the infected cow was an isolated case, 
that he is confident the USDA is taking all necessary 
precautions in response to the case, and that Honduras will 
be able to lift the suspension on imports "in the short 
term." 
 
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Informal Translation of GOH Press Release 
----------------------------------------- 
 
5.  Begin Translation: 
 
Title: The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock announces 
the temporary suspension of the importation of animals and 
bovine-derived products from the United States 
 
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock announced a 
suspension of the importation of animals, meat and bovine- 
derived products from the United States, after the 
Department of Agriculture of that country announced on 
December 23, 2003 a suspected case of Bovine Spongiform 
Encephalopathy, better known as "Mad Cow Disease," in a cow 
slaughtered December 9, 2003 in the area of Washington. 
This suspected case was confirmed by information received 
December 28, 2003 from Dr. Peter Fernandez, Associate 
Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, when the 
laboratory based in Weybridge (United Kingdom) confirmed the 
diagnosis of the National Veterinary Laboratories in Ames, 
Iowa. 
 
Honduras, following the guidelines established by the OIE 
for this disease, has taken this decision with the goal of 
avoiding any potential risk to public health, or to national 
livestock. 
 
Exempt from the ban are certain products such as milk and 
milk products, semen, embryos, protein-free tallow, 
dicalcium phosphate, hides, skins, and gelatin and collagen 
obtained from hides and skins, since there exists no 
zoosanitary risk from this merchandise. 
 
These actions also have the goal of assuring third countries 
to whom Honduras exports that we have taken the necessary 
precautions to guarantee that our merchandise will not pose 
any risk to these other nations. 
 
It is also necessary to mention that the consumption of beef 
in Honduras is guaranteed by these actions, as well as by 
the fact that the great majority of our livestock are fed by 
pasture and forage. 
 
End Translation. 
 
Pierce