The NPA has urged the government to act to address the gaping holes in its border biosecurity controls, as the UK faces a growing threat from diseases like foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), recently confirmed in Germany, and African swine fever (ASF).
In its response to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee’s call for evidence on biosecurity at the border, the NPA states that its ‘most significant concern’ relates to the UK’s commercial import controls’.
“The BTOM, introduced to control and monitor commercial imports, does not appear to be functioning properly with very few physical inspections of POAO from the EU and rest-of-world taking place,” the response states.
While there should be 140 physical inspections conducted each day at the Sevington Border Control Post, it is estimated that as few as 10% are being completed. Alongside the ability to auto-clear loads without inspection, if self-declared to be low risk, two hours prior to arrival, there is a clear risk of illegal meat entering the country alongside legally imported products.
Enforcement
The NPA goes onto highlight concerns around the enforcement of the current or any future control measures. “Control measures of this kind are only worth introducing if port health authorities, local authorities, and Border Force have sufficient resource to implement and enforce them,” the response says.
It points out that since ASF control measures were introduced in September 2022, Dover Port Health Authority (DPHA) has seized more 170 tonnes of illegally imported meat products at the Port of Dover.
This is despite limited funding and operational capacity and only a small percentage of vehicles being checked, so it is believed that much more is entering the country to meet an increasing commercial demand, with much of the trade run by organised criminals.
“If illegal POAO is identified and confiscated, there are currently poor legal pathways and insufficient resources to take further action. As such there are no penalties to dissuade this criminal activity,” the response adds.
The NPA also highlights the overdue need for an update to Defra’s personal import and calls for an outright ban on all personal pork imports and the removal of the current 2kg threshold.