Environment Minister El James has dismissed suggestions Caribbean vets heading for Bermuda could have "sub par" education.

The Minister made a statement in the House of Assembly on Friday to counter concerns from local vets over the inclusion of the CARICOM in an overhaul of vet standards on the Island.

Mr. James pointed to a growing pool of vet talent in the Caribbean, following the establishment of colleges in Dominica, Trinidad, Grenada and Caymans.

He said: "Our veterinarians feel comfortable with the North American and UK standards because these are the standards where nearly all, if not all, of the veterinarians registered in Bermuda were trained.

"The North American and UK standards are the standards we have historically accepted in Bermuda. But does that mean that the Caribbean veterinary schools are sub par? Certainly not."

The Veterinary Practitioners Act 2008, passed by the Senate last week, states 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.

Bermuda Veterinary Association president Andrew Madeiros said in March that practitioners were worried some courses in the Caribbean were currently short of Royal College standards.

He complained that Government had not consulted vets before including CARICOM in the bill.

Mr. James explained in his statement: "The inclusion of CARICOM nations arises from our close relationship with our sister island nations to the south.

"While we recognise that there are varied standards for veterinary registration throughout the Caribbean, we also recognise that much of the veterinary talent in the Caribbean was trained in the same places from which we currently draw our veterinary practitioners — that is the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand."

The Minister said CARICOM was now working toward a single regionwide standard for vet registration.

He said Bermuda could learn from its sister islands' knowledge in agriculture, food production, disease surveillance and veterinary public health.

He added: "The Bermuda Veterinary Practitioners Council will establish codes of conduct and standards of practice for the practice of veterinary medicine in Bermuda.

"Thus, regardless of where a practitioner was educated, he or she will be required to meet those standards in order to be registered."