15 Oct 2019
The Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) has commended border officials and the Department of Agriculture for toughening up on tourists to protect Australia’s pork producers from African Swine Fever (ASF) entering the country.
This comes after a Vietnamese visitor was turned back at Sydney international airport on Saturday under new visa cancellation legislation after biosecurity officers discovered undeclared food, including 4.6kg of uncooked pork, in her luggage.
QFF President Stuart Armitage said the highly infectious and contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs was currently spreading through Europe and Asia and would cause devastating economic losses for Australia’s pork industry if it got through our borders.
“The most significant risk of entry of ASF into Australia is through illegally imported contaminated pork products that are swill fed to domestic pigs or accessed by feral pigs,” Mr Armitage said.
“The Minister for Agriculture, Bridget McKenzie has shown a strong resolve for improving our country’s biosecurity system, and with more than 27 tonnes of pig products arriving in Australia since January this year, 50 per cent of which was carrying ASF, it is needed.”
“The biosecurity risks to our animal and plant industries are real and it is imperative that all Australians and visitors adhere to biosecurity requirements both on-farm and in general and report suspected breaches to their respective state biosecurity bodies immediately.”
“Queensland remains Australia’s frontline biosecurity state, so effective government, public and industry partnerships are critical to maintaining our relative pest, disease and weed freedom.
“With the number of biosecurity interceptions showing no sign of reducing, we must maintain vigilance and continue to remind everyone that they have a general biosecurity obligation and a role to play.”
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