The Council of Agriculture (COA) yesterday reiterated its plan to raise the fine for illegal meat imports by 20 times after it intercepted another 73 cases of travelers attempting to bring in meat products from China and other areas infected with foot-and-mouth disease.
Since the first case of African swine fever was reported in China on Aug. 3, the disease has spread to 13 Chinese provinces and regions, with 53 cases as of yesterday, the council’s Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine said.
Despite the bureau’s constant warnings about the danger of smuggling meat products from China, officials said that from Sept. 1 to Oct. 17, they intercepted 193 travelers attempting to bring in Chinese pork products, 26 of which were raw pork.
Photo: CNA
The travelers were fined between NT$3,000 and NT$15,000 in line with Article 45-1 of the Statute for Prevention and Control of Infectious Animal Disease (動物傳染病防治條例), with those carrying raw meat products given the maximum fine, bureau section chief Peng Ming-hsing (彭明興) said.
Starting from Oct. 18, people bringing meat products from banned areas were given the maximum fine of NT$15,000 whether the products were raw or not, he said.
Despite the stiffer punishment, the bureau from Oct. 18 to Sunday still stopped 73 illegal imports of meat products — 43 from China, 21 from Vietnam, 5 from the Philippines, and 2 each from South Korea and Thailand — he said, adding that the four countries other than China are areas with foot-and-mouth disease.
Although the council has not found any samples of illegally imported products infected with the swine fever virus, Japan and South Korea last week found the virus in pork products from China, he said.
As the penalty has not effectively curbed illegal meat imports, the council plans to amend the act raising the maximum fine to NT$300,000, he said, adding that the bureau hopes the amendment would be passed before this legislative session ends in December.
The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs yesterday said it has been working closely with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health in tackling the epidemic, adding that the two have applauded its efficiency and transparency.
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