Senators passed a bill yesterday which will require all vets to be registered — but Opposition concerns about underqualified Caribbean vets being allowed in sparked claims of racism from Senate leader David Burch.

The Veterinary Practitioners Act 2008 states that overseas practitioners must either be a member of the UK's Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, or hold a 'valid licence' in the US, Canada, European Union or Caribbean Economic Community to qualify.

Recently Dr. Andrew Madeiros voiced concern that some vets courses in the Caribbean fell short of Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons standards.

And United Bermuda Party Senator Charlie Swan also raised the point that there were no accredited vet courses in that region.

But junior Minister Wayne Caines, who introduced the bill, said vets from the Caribbean had trained in North America and the UK and he said it was prejudicial to make a blanket statements about vets from the Caribbean compared to other countries.

He said there were now four vet schools in the Caribbean. "The foundation of those schools must be vested in vets trained in the US, UK and Canada."

And Sen. Burch went further by saying the concerns weren't about standards of education or regions. "It's racist, that's what it is. You can dress it up anyway you like."

He said it was symptomatic of an attitude that anything out of the Caribbean was bad.

Vets had complained that Government had failed to consult with them over the "last-minute" inclusion of CARICOM.

However, Sen. Burch said consultation didn't mean people always got their way.

The Act sets up a Veterinary Practitioners Council to promote standards with a code of conduct, with powers to investigate all allegations of professional misconduct.

It will examine the qualifications of overseas vets applying to practice here.

However, Independent Sen. Walwyn Hughes said the council would not have the scrutiny authority some seemed to suggest and it would have to accept everybody — as long as they were of good character and eligible to practice in the countries listed in the act.

And he wondered what would happen to vets applying from areas outside those named in the Act.

And Opposition Senate leader Michael Dunkley said he was disturbed that any criticism was immediately dismissed as being racist in nature instead of being debated on its merits.

However, most of the Bill was welcomed by Senators from all sides.

Sen. Caines said Government had recognised the need to protect the public from negligence and people passing themselves off as qualified vets.

He said the profession had only been governed by a short section of the Agriculture Act from 1930 which was inadequate.

The Bill will establish an annual register of vets to be published and re-registration will be required every three years to ensure vets keep up to date with latest standards.

The register also bars those not on it from treating sick and injured animals, under penalty of a $5,000 fine or six months' imprisonment.

Veterinary certificate holders under the Agriculture Act 1930 will automatically qualify for the register.