Asked by: Martin Vickers (Conservative - Brigg and Immingham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to inform people entering the UK of the dangers of bringing in meat from areas affected by African swine fever.
Answered by David Rutley
Defra, together with the devolved administrations, pig industry and veterinary bodies, has been working on a communications campaign to raise awareness of the risks of the introduction of African swine fever (ASF) to the UK and what can be done to reduce the risk of entry into the UK pig herd or feral wild boar populations. Messaging has targeted key audiences including transport operators, tourists to specific regions, and other people returning from affected regions. Additionally, we have been speaking to both professional and backyard pig keepers about the dangers and risk of ASF, to encourage best practice and ensure disease prevention.
We have also run a targeted communication campaign to raise awareness of the particular risks of bringing pork products into the UK from affected areas, including the emphasis on the importance of safely disposing of any unwanted pork products.