Australia - Pork industry wants urgent import bans

Australian Pork Limited is seeking an immediate ban on all pork imports from countries affected by the exotic disease Post Weaning Systematic Wasting Syndrome. The APL board was responding to a decision handed down by Mr Justice Wilcox in the Federal Court on May 27, which declared import protocols for pig meat invalid. APL began legal action in July 2004 against the Director of Quarantine who ordered in May 2004 that conditional entry of pig meat from countries with PMWS should be permitted. Mr Justice Wilcox found that decision was “unsupported by any fact, scientific evidence or scientific expertise”, and described the decision as “bizarre” and “unreasonable”. APL has sent draft orders to the Government seeking a review by the Director of Quarantine of all pork import permits and processing licences in line with the findings of the court and an immediate ban on the issuing of any new pork import permits or licences. “If the Director of Quarantine does not revoke the permits and licences for importation and processing of pig meat from PMWS positive countries then APL will take further court action to ensure such an outcome is achieved," APL chairman, Nigel Smith, said. Mr Smith says Australia is one of the few countries in the world free of PMWS and urgent action is needed to address the danger it represents. “In Europe, major epidemics of PMWS have occurred since 2000 and are estimated to have killed eight million pigs and cost $A1.5 billion," he said. "We estimate an outbreak of PMWS in Australia would add 15pc to the cost of production resulting in a $55.3million annual loss in productivity and a $188.9 million fall in gross domestic product. "We simply cannot expose the Australian industry to this risk."