Canines Deployed in Scottish Ports to Prevent Spread of ASF

To reduce the spread of foot in mouth disease and African swine fever (ASF), Scottish ports, airports and mail hubs have employed a specialist group of canines trained to identify animal products.

The new program is financed by the Scottish government and came about shortly after public health advice asked people not to transport meat produce into the UK for fear of it containing African swine fever.

There has been an outbreak of this illness in domestic animals in European countries including Belgium, Poland, and Germany.

Asia has been impacted the most by this with millions of pigs and boar dying, particularly in China which is the biggest producer of pork and in the world. Cases have also been noted in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The mortality rate for African swine fever can be anywhere up to 100%, creating vast concern regarding the future of the pig production industry. Currently there is no vaccination available to combat the disease.

In 2020, more than a tonne of animal products (PoAO) was confiscated at Scottish ports and airports.

Mairi Gougeon, Rural Affairs Secretary, explained that “[the dogs] have taken part in a robust training regime and now that they have passed their assessments they can get to work and help us detect PoAO entering Scotland illegally. Monthly seizure data helps us ascertain where PoAO originate from and helps us identify periods where seizures are above average.”

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