April 28, 2020
Australia has mobilised a team to help Papua New Guinea deal with an outbreak of African Swine Fever.
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud and Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Marise Payne said the the urgent multi-agency response aimed to slow the spread of ASF in Papua New Guinea and prevent its incursion into Australia.
“With the confirmation of ASF in our near neighbour, our biosecurity measures are more important than ever as it could devastate Australia’s pork industry if it were to arrive here,” Minister Littleproud said.
“We commend Papua New Guinea for its quick action in response to the outbreak and we will continue to offer support to Papua New Guinea as it works to contain this disease.
“My department is providing PNG’s Chief Veterinary Officer with remote technical assistance, laboratory support and sharing expertise in working with remote communities to support PNG’s quarantine agency’s ASF response.”
Minister Payne said Australia was is providing technical, risk communications, logistics and strategic co-ordination support through the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus program.
“We are assisting Papua New Guinea with technical assistance through the provision of a veterinarian, help to establish a local disease control centre and the provision of logistics support at the location of the outbreak,” Minister Payne said.
“A key part of our response is the deployment of a risk-communications specialist to increase public awareness, including by producing targeted messages.”
Minister Payne said the support was whole-of-government, with the Australian Defence Force and Australian Federal Police working closely with PNG counterparts to establish checkpoints to reduce the spread of the fever.
The Department of Home Affairs was also working with the PNG Government in relation to import controls.
Australia was also collaborating closely with New Zealand and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.
Related articles:
- Swine Fever Found In PNG
- Be Alert For Swine Fever
- People Food Isn’t Pig Food
- Pig Disease Found In Seized Pork
- MP Updated On Swine Fever
- Suki To Sniff Out Illegal Pork
- Pig Pandemic Hits East Timor
- Alert Warns Producers To Stay Vigilant
- Roundtable Targets Swine Fever
- Swine Fever ‘Threat To Economy’
- Virus Found In Illegal Imports
- $120,000 Fine Over Imported Pork
Golly it’s close, very close indeed, The Govt people should be commended for their activities to try to keep it out of Australia. They certainly have a big job ahead, what with the willy-nilly movements of small boats by the locals there and also if it were to cross over into Australia there would be a rapid spread through the feral hog population of the cape.
Good to see the support of Minister Marise Payne. In my view she has grown in stature in recent times and is now performing admirably. Her last great event is when she “stared down” the arrogant Chinese diplomat who was threatening Australia’s trade.
If the ASF ever gets in it will do more damage than Covid has by far! It needs to be kept at bay at all costs! PNG needs all our help possible to control and hopefully eradicate it for us to be able to feel a bit easy.