The National Immigration Agency yesterday repeated a call for people not to bring pork into Taiwan from areas affected by African swine fever, citing an increased number of contraventions by foreign nationals over the past two months.
Four migrant workers and one foreign businessperson were stopped at airports in Taiwan over the past two months for arriving in Taiwan with illegal pork products, the agency said in a statement.
Three migrant workers were denied entry because they were unable to pay the NT$200,000 (US$6,673) fine, it said.
Photo retrieved by Wang Kuan-jen, Taipei Times
The other worker was initially denied entry, but had the fine paid by family overseas, while the businessperson’s fine was covered by the inviting company, it said.
These people “planned to work and earn money in Taiwan, and those plans were upset by ham sausages,” it said.
Anyone caught bringing or mailing pork products into Taiwan from areas affected by African swine fever could face a fine of up to NT$1 million, as does anyone receiving such packages, the agency said.
The reminder came ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival, a significant traditional festival celebrated in Taiwan with barbecue parties and gifts. The festival falls on Sept. 10 this year.
There are 72 high-risk areas affected by African swine fever areas, mostly in Africa, Asia and Europe, the Central Emergency Operation Center said, adding that Taiwan has not had any cases to date.
The virus does not harm humans, but can be fatal to pigs and could devastate the country’s pig farming industry, which is valued at more than NT$170 billion, the Council of Agriculture said.
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