Authority does its part
AFRICAN swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious viral disease which infects and kills wild and domestic pigs.
While ASF is not a risk to human health, it affects animal welfare, causes severe production and economic losses, and can threaten food security.
So far, ASF has affected innumerable countries in Asia, Africa and Europe with the Asian region pig industry being impacted the most because of loss of close to 800 million pigs.
While Fiji is ASF free, however, the viral disease has reached the Pacific region which is a cause of cause.
An outbreak of ASF has occurred in the Pacific early this year with Papua New Guinea ('PNG') officially reporting an ASF outbreak to World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) on March 30, 2020.
The event started on March 5, 2020 and is presently ongoing in PNG.
Considering the effects of this deadly disease on the pig industry, it is imperative to ensure it never reaches Fiji.
The Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF) has always noted ASF as a severe biosecurity threat to Fiji and is taking all necessary steps to ensure it does not reach our shores.
The reason being if it is introduced to Fiji, it will impact the pig industry, food security and also the livelihood of people subsequently leading to severe economic losses.
Moreover, there is no vaccine or treatment against ASF, thus leaving no prevention strategies.
If this disease enters Fiji, it will require culling of all pigs to eradicate or control the spread of ASF leaving the industry vulnerable to huge losses.
Considering the fact that PNG is not very far from
Fiji, ASF remains a threat to the pig industry in Fiji.
As such BAF will continue to ensure proactive measures are strengthened and undertaken to ensure the disease does not enter Fiji.
BAF will continue its monitoring and surveillance programs in this regards.
However, BAF will also require the assistance of all Fijians in protecting Fiji from ASF.
Everyone has a role to play to avoid bringing the deadly virus across regional or national borders. Travelers, commercial pig farmers, hunters, transporters and customs check point staff members are all involved in the prevention of the disease and are requested to simply adhere to the general precautions highlighted below:
■ Declare any pork or pork products to BAF staff members at the borders;
■ Avoid carrying pork or pork products for personal usage;
■ Contact BAF for the importation of Pork and Pork products prior to importing into Fiji;
■ Do not visit pig farms in affected areas and declare on arrival card if you have visited piggeries in overseas countries;
■ Prevent direct or indirect contact with wild boar and declare if contacted in overseas countries;
■ Proper disposal of waste food from aircraft or ships/ vessels arriving from overseas countries and efficient sterilisation of garbage;
■ Contact BAF for any suspicious case of (dead or alive) infection in pigs;
■ Ensure that all your workers and visitors are aware of farm biosecurity measures;
■ If you are in regular contact with domestic pigs, do not hunt or approach wild pigs;
■ Implement best farm practice for pigs on farms; and
■ Do not feed untreated /uncooked kitchen scraps containing meat to your pigs and avoid swill feeding.
It is worth noting that hosts of the virus are African wild Swine, bush pigs, giant forest hogs, domestic pigs, European wild boar and American wild pigs.
By working together we can all protect Fiji from ASF.