E-mail:
Country:
Bahamas
Organization/agency name (Full name):
Bahamas Agricultural Health& Food Safety Authority
Contact person name:
Patricia J. Johnson
Website:
Physical full address:
P. O. Box N-3040 Rgs Gladstone Road Nassau Bahamas
Phone number:
242-376-3797
Fax number:
Country introduction
Summary:
While no specific mechanisms currently exist to deal with GMOs, existing institutions and mechanisms may serve to do this in the future. The Department of Agriculture controls permitting for the import of plant and animal species and regulates movement of organisms in cooperation with the Bahamas Customs Department. The Department of Agriculture, the Department of Marine Resources and the Department of Environmental Health Services are all involved with ensuring food safety. The Ministry of Health and the Department of Environmental Health Services are involved with public health and control of disease-causing organisms. The Bahamas Environment, Science and Technology (BEST) Commission is the focal point agency for the Convention on Biological Diversity (ratified September 1993) and the Cartagena Protocol (ratified January 2004), as well as the National Executing Agency for the National Biosafety Framework project to ensure the country is progressing in fulfillment of its obligations under the Protocol. The Bahamas has drafted the Biosecurity Act and the National Biosecurity Strategy of The Bahamas, whose primary objectives are to govern the handling and use of genetically modified organisms and to provide safeguards against the uncontrolled release of living modified organisms. The biosecurity strategy is a regulatory and administrative system that enables the Bahamas to develop a national policy on biosecurity.
Framework
Regulatory framework:
My country does not have a regulatory framework that requires the competent authority to conduct safety assessment of GM food.
Structure for GM food safety assessment:
My country does not have a structure for GM food safety assessment.
Supplemental information:
Contact details of the competent authority(s) responsible for the safety assessment and the product applicant:
Assessment
GM food safety assessment guidelines:
My country does not conduct safety assessment of GM food but the country has, or the country is in the process of developing national/regional guidelines that are in line with the Codex Guidelines in conducting safety assessment of GM food.
Conduct of GM food safety assessment:
My country has never conducted safety assessment of GM food and will not (be able to) conduct such assessment in the near future.
Supplemental information on the implementation:
Stacked events
Regulation of stacked events:
There is no regulations in my country on stacked events.
Supplemental information on the stacked events:
Production and trade
GM food/feed production:
My country does not produce any GM food or feed.
GM food/feed imports:
My country does not import any GM food or feed (banned).
Supplemental information on the production and trade:
LLP/AP incidents
LLP/AP incidents:
My country does not monitor LLP/AP situations.
Supplemental information on the LLP/AP incidents:
Labelling requirement
Labelling requirement:
My country does not have any labeling regulations/policies on GM food.
Supplemental information on the Labelling requirement:
Relevant links to documents and information prepared by the competent authority responsible for the safety assessment
Other relevant documents:
Country information last modified:
03/12/2021
