Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) has adopted stricter control measures at the nation’s ports. That’s in light of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and the threat of African Swine Flu infiltrating the country.
Ocean Affairs Minister Lee Chung-wei explained the new measures in a report to the legislature on Monday. Port authorities are conducting complete inspections of all fishing boats, and all vessels originating in outbreak zones.
Lee has ordered personnel to move quickly to deal with pig carcasses that wash up on Taiwan’s shores. He says that COVID-19 testing is targeting, in particular, fishing boats that get their fish through trade rather than by catching them. He says there are thorough inspections of the crews, ship logs, and the vessels themselves.
The Ocean Affairs Council has also stepped up efforts to crackdown on smuggling and contraband. Lee says that, so far this year, the OAC has seized 70,000 surgical face masks being brought out of Taiwan. That’s in violation of export rules that were put in place shortly after the outbreak of COVID-19.