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Kinmen coast guard intercepts smuggled birds, suspects flee

The coast guard yesterday confronted a Chinese fishing boat carrying 173 smuggled birds when it attempted to enter Kinmen, as health experts warned of the potential for a devastating outbreak of avian flu in Taiwan.

The birds were immediately destroyed.

The Coast Guard Administration said in a press statement that at 4:30am yesterday, the coast guard discovered a Chinese fishing boat attempting to come ashore at Hsiaokinmen.

20 boxes

As a coast guard vessel approached the boat, two Chinese fishermen threw 20 boxes of birds toward the shore and fled.

The coast guard was unable to intercept the boat, but 173 live birds were found in the boxes. They included Japanese white-eyes, redthroats and daurian redstarts.

Upon discovering the birds, the coast guard called in epidemic prevention experts. The coast guard said that the birds were judged to be potential carriers of avian flu and were destroyed.

The site of the attempted landing was also disinfected.

The birds would have ended up in Taiwanese bird markets if it had not seized the shipment, the coast guard said.

The coast guard warned the public against helping smugglers bring birds into the country, and not to buy birds if their origin was unclear.

Flu risk

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has expressed concern over smuggling from China through the "small three links" -- direct trade and transport between Kinmen, Matsu and China -- saying that Taiwanese and Chinese fishermen might spark an outbreak of avian flu or other diseases in Taiwan by circumventing health and sanitary controls.

The president therefore ordered the government to conduct strict surveillance and interception operations in the area, focusing on illegally imported animals and animal products.

The Coast Guard Administration has launched a crackdown on Chinese vessels entering waters off the outlying islands of Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu to counter smuggling.
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