All Fresh Beef, Chicken and Eggs to Be Confiscated in Mexico

October 17 - Cabo San Lucas, BCS

Captain Patricia Rains, co-author, along with her husband Captain John Rains, of the Mexico Boating Guide, explains why these products will be confiscated again this year:

"Victor Barreda, a ship's agent in Cabo San Lucas, asked me to please remind all yatistas - and especially those in the Baja Ha-Ha and Class of '05 - that all fresh (uncooked) U.S. beef, chicken, and eggs are still banned in Mexico, and will be confiscated and incinerated by officials. This is due to Mad Cow disease and the Avian (bird) Influenza HFN1 and H5N2. Officials have the right to inspect all boats and their freezers.

"The bird virus is a serious problem for Mexico because their entire poultry industry got wiped out to zero about 20 years ago. Ever since, they've been inoculating against N5H2, but the newest outbreak is N5H1, which the chickens aren't protected against. If one tiny scrap of uncooked chicken or egg got into the garbage dumps or went overboard into coastal waters, it could be picked up by seagulls and pelicans, and be transported far inland through their droppings. That's how the last epidemic got passed from coast to coast. So, yeah, they're real edgy about it. And yes, we ought to do all we can to help. So I hope all the cruisers headed south get the message before they provision for an entire winter, as nobody wants to have to confiscate a lot of expensive food."

Rains also has some definitive information on the rumor - which apparently got started in Charlie's Charts - that yachties are required to have health certificates when they arrive in Cabo:

"Cabo San Lucas is NOT requiring a health certificate from yachties who enter the country there. John and I have been getting a lot of calls from worried and angry cruisers, so we contacted Victor Barreda in Cabo. He's been there for 40 years and hadn't ever heard of it, but just to be sure, checked with the port captain and also with both the state (Baja) and federal (international) health department officials. Everyone said, 'No way.' Not at Cabo nor at any other port in Mexico. With tourism such an important part of the Mexican economy, they'd like to know who started this false rumor."

But we also have some bad news from the Rains. The much-improved Second Edition of their Mexico Boating Guide will not be ready for the start of the cruising season. It won't be printed until about Thanksiving. We'll let you know as soon as it become available and where.