The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine is working on measures that include allowing pet cat or dog importers to conditionally waive the mandated quarantine period.
The measures are in response to the increasing demand for imported pets and requests for a more flexible quarantine policy while minimizing risks of importing rabies, bureau Deputy Director-General Hsu Jung-pin (徐榮彬) said yesterday, adding that they could be implemented in the latter half of this month.
The nation in 2021 had 87,810 registered house cats and 1.23 million house dogs, Hsu said, citing the bureau’s statistics.
Photo: CNA
The bureau has proposed amendments to Addendum 6, Article 8 of the Regulations for the Importation of Objects Subject to Animal Quarantine (輸入應施檢疫物檢疫準則), with the bureau designating three types of risk management measures and pet importers being allowed to apply for a quarantine waiver if they meet one of the requirements.
One, importers must apply for a quarantine waiver 120 days before the pet’s arrival. The other two applies to people applying for an import permit 20 days before the animal’s arrival: importers must present quarantine examination reports from the country of origin; or, testing facilities from the country of origin can send quarantine exam results directly to the target destination.
However, the prerequisite for these three measures is a blood test showing that the cat or dog had received a rabies shot 180 days before an application for waiver is filed, Hsu said.
Rabies has an incubation period of 180 days.
Current regulations stipulate that to import canines and felines from regions with known rabies infections, importers must present documentation that the animals had been vaccinated 90 days before their scheduled date of arrival, Hsu said.
Japan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Estonia, the UK, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, the Svalbard Islands, Hawai and Guam are the only countries or areas without known cases of rabies infections.
Importers must also apply for an import permit 20 days before the animal’s arrival, Hsu said, adding that the animal must be quarantined for seven days after arrival.
Cats and dogs imported from Japan would only need to present official documents prior to their arrival in Taiwan, he said.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the
RSS