Filipino inbound travelers to Taiwan caught bringing in quarantine items, foremost of which is pork products, will be fined P336,000 up to P1.6 million as part of Taipei’s biosecurity measures against the dreaded African swine fever (ASF).
In a Facebook post, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) shared the formal letter of Taiwan’s Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ) informing the Department of Agriculture (DA) that it has imposed higher fines for Filipino travelers since September 6.
‘Notice to travelers’
Taiwan is implementing baggage inspection for passengers coming from the Philippines,” the BAI said on Tuesday.
“In order to protect their country from the intrusion of animal diseases such as African swine fever, bringing of pork and pork products is strictly prohibited. Violators will be fined NT200,000 for first time violators and NT1,000,000 for second time violators [P336,000 up to P1.6 million],” it added.
In the letter dated September 17, BAPHIQ Deputy Director General Wen-Jane Tu said Taiwan has ordered mandatory inspection of all baggage of passengers from the Philippines after Manila confirmed its first ASF outbreak.
The same measure is being applied by Taiwan to other ASF-affected countries such as China and other Southeast Asian nations, Tu added.
“This new measure was enforced starting 6 Sept. 2019. Passenger from the Philippines who carry quarantine items illegally [for the] first time will be fined NT200,000 and second time will be fined NT1,000,000,” said Tu, who is Taiwan’s chief veterinary officer, in the letter.
Tu said Taiwan is looking forward to work “more closely” with the Philippines “in handling the issue of transboundary animal diseases.”
“ASF is a global issue. Good communication and coordination among regional and international veterinary competent authorities are essential,” she said.
“I look forward to working even more closely with Philippines in handling the issue of transboundary animal diseases and to providing useful inputs which are beneficial to our region,” she added.
As early as mid-August, Taiwan has implemented stricter biosecurity measures on Filipino travelers’ baggage after it received reports of possible ASF outbreaks in Bulacan and Rizal provinces.
The DA on Monday announced that the 12th ASF outbreak was recorded in Antipolo City and that the government placed more areas in Central Luzon under quarantine.
However, Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar did not specify the additional sites in Central Luzon that are now under quarantine. Dar said authorities are still completing the depopulation of hog farms to control the spread of the ASF virus.
“We have just placed [the new area in Antipolo] under quarantine by applying the 1-7-10 protocol,” he told reporters in an interview on Monday. “The other areas [under quarantine] are in Central Luzon. We will mention the exact areas in due time. The work is ongoing and depopulation continues up until today,” Dar added.
Image credits: Nonoy Lacza