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Indonesia has confirmed the presence of African swine fever in North Sumatra. Australian Minister for Agriculture, Bridget McKenzie, said the news was concerning, especially as Indonesia is so popular with Australian tourists with 188 flights per week coming in from Indonesia to major Australian cities.
The government is taking the disease threat very seriously. Last week it was announced that $66.6 million was invested to put 130 more biosecurity officers and six detector dogs at airports. Screening has been especially increased for flights returning from Indonesia.
In less than a year, authorities have seized 32 tonnes of pork from air travelers. Fifty per cent of confiscated products contained African swine fever.
If Australian travelers lie about the contents of their luggage and are in possession of biosecurity risk material, they could face criminal prosecution and be ordered to pay up to $420,000 and/or sentenced to up to 10 years in jail.
Monday, December 16, 2019 /Minister for Agriculture/
https://minister.agriculture.gov.au/
