The Farmers Mart Aug-Sep 2019 - Issue 64 | Page 15

FARM NEWS 15
• AUG/SEP 2019
NEW UK BORDER CAMPAIGN WARNS
OF THREAT OF AFRICAN SWINE FEVER
DEFRA announces new
poster campaign warning
holidaymakers of the risks
around bringing contami-
nated pork products into
the UK.
A new campaign was
launched recently at the
UK’s border to help keep
the damaging animal
disease African swine fever
(ASF) out of the country.
The disease, which
poses no threat to human
health but is fatal for pigs,
has already spread widely
across Asia – including
China and Vietnam – and
parts of Central and Eastern
Europe. Cases have also
been reported throughout
Sub Saharan Africa.
This has led to the deaths
of over 800,000 pigs and
wild boar in Europe and
an estimated four million
pigs in Asia, causing global
pork prices to rise. If the
disease was found in this
country, it could have a
devastating impact on the
UK’s commercial pig stock
of five million pigs, as well
as the trade of our pork
products.
The main ways that the
disease can spread are:
• Tourists or travellers
bringing contaminated
pork products with
them from infected
areas. All travellers are
strongly advised to
avoid bringing any pork
products – including
preserved meats, ham
or pork sandwiches –
back to the UK. Bringing
in potentially contam-
inated pork products
from affected regions
is an offence – it can
result in prosecution
and a large fine.
• Pig keepers and
members of the public
feeding catering waste,
kitchen scraps or
pork products to their
animals. It is illegal to
do so.
• Travellers returning
from ASF-affected
areas coming into
contact with domestic
pigs, commercial hold-
ings or smallholdings.
The disease can spread
via contaminated
clothing, footwear or
equipment, as well as
pork products.
• Contaminated vehicles
and equipment being
taken onto commer-
cial pig premises or
workers wearing
contaminated clothing
or boots when entering
pig premises.
The new campaign
aims to safeguard the UK’s
pork and pig industries by
targeting anyone who has
the potential to introduce
African swine fever to
the UK. It includes a new
poster campaign, which
will be introduced to UK
airports and ports through-
out the summer, to raise
awareness of the disease
and the risks of bring-
ing back contaminated
products.
UK Border officials
enforce controls at the
border on illegal meat by
searching freight, passen-
gers and luggage and will
seize and destroy illegally
imported meat products.
The Chief Veterinary
Officers from the UK,
Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland, said:
“Keeping African swine
fever out of the UK is one
of our top priorities. As we
have seen around the world,
its impact on pig farmers and
the wider pork industry has
been devastating.”
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