August 9, 2004

Taiwan Temporarily Bans Poultry Imports From South Africa

Taiwan has temporarily banned imports of poultry from South Africa to prevent bird flu and other epidemics, the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture (COA) has announced.

The COA made the announcement in a statement issued over the weekend, citing the fact that a large number of ostriches in various areas of South Africa's eastern Cape Province, such as Bedford, Cradock and Somerset, have died from bird flu.

Taiwan poultry raisers should heighten their alert against a spread of bird flu-related epidemics, as other countries in Asia, including Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and mainland China have also been affected by avian flu, officials with the COA's Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection said.

The officials also called on the public not to smuggle poultry products from foreign countries and to report any such cases to the police so as to help prevent a bird flu outbreak in Taiwan.