Meat industry representatives remain largely confident that new policing systems are stopping illegal bushmeat imports.
A prison sentence was imposed last week on Pauline Owuso Pepra for selling meat, including bushmeat, unfit for human consumption.
But though the trade has been encouraged by the government’s positive response to the problem in the wake of foot and mouth, many still feel warnings at ports and airports are inadequate.
There are fears that unknown diseases affecting both animals and humans could enter the country in bushmeat.
Doug Brydges, president of the International Meat Trades Association, said: “I would certainly like to see Britain following the example set by Australia, New Zealand and the US with visual warnings. New Zealand used to spray whole areas with anti-bug chemicals.”
The Farmers’ Union of Wales has so far largely led the public battle for a further toughening up of controls with a warning that this latest prosecution may become an increasingly rare event due to inadequate funding of enforcement agencies.
Meanwhile, ethnic and cultural demand for unusual meats would be on the increase.
However, Michael Seals, chairman of the NFU’s food standards committee, reckons DEFRA and Customs & Excise have taken the industry’s pleas on board. “Around 900 C& E officers have been trained in animal and plant identification and seizures have increased dramatically,” said Seals.
But organised smuggling is set to grow with the expansion of the EU. Seals said this would lead to the need for stronger policing at retail level by environmental health or trading standards officers.
A prison sentence was imposed last week on Pauline Owuso Pepra for selling meat, including bushmeat, unfit for human consumption.
But though the trade has been encouraged by the government’s positive response to the problem in the wake of foot and mouth, many still feel warnings at ports and airports are inadequate.
There are fears that unknown diseases affecting both animals and humans could enter the country in bushmeat.
Doug Brydges, president of the International Meat Trades Association, said: “I would certainly like to see Britain following the example set by Australia, New Zealand and the US with visual warnings. New Zealand used to spray whole areas with anti-bug chemicals.”
The Farmers’ Union of Wales has so far largely led the public battle for a further toughening up of controls with a warning that this latest prosecution may become an increasingly rare event due to inadequate funding of enforcement agencies.
Meanwhile, ethnic and cultural demand for unusual meats would be on the increase.
However, Michael Seals, chairman of the NFU’s food standards committee, reckons DEFRA and Customs & Excise have taken the industry’s pleas on board. “Around 900 C& E officers have been trained in animal and plant identification and seizures have increased dramatically,” said Seals.
But organised smuggling is set to grow with the expansion of the EU. Seals said this would lead to the need for stronger policing at retail level by environmental health or trading standards officers.
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