Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira reminds that the importation to Finland of wild board carcasses, meat and meat products from continental Estonia is not allowed.
In early February 2016, the Finnish Customs confiscated the carcasses of two wild boars from the car of a hunter arriving from Estonia. Although health certificates were produced to show that the wild boars did not suffer from African swine fever, they were sent to be destroyed.
Due to the cases of African swine fever found in Estonia, continental Estonia is included within the restricted area from which wild boars and products made from wild boar may not under a protection order of the European Commission be exported to other EU states.
African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious, usually lethal hemorrhagic disease of pigs, wild boars, minipigs and micropigs. African swine fever is not contagious to humans or other animals, but both can spread the disease. There is no medication or vaccine to ASF. African swine fever has never been detected in Finland.
If the disease were to spread to Finland, pig farms and the whole meat industry would suffer great economic losses as a result of international trade coming to a standstill, destruction of animals and disinfection of facilities.
Read more about the topic:
Do not bring African swine fever to Finland
For more information, please contact:
Kyösti Siponen, Head of Import, Export and Organic Control Unit, tel. +358 50 386 8412 (import requirements)
Miia Kauremaa, Senior Officer, Animal Health and Welfare Unit, tel. +358 400 318 510 (control of animal diseases)
