The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday intercepted a Panama-registered cargo ship carrying more than 1,500 smuggled birds and other animals from China as it entered Taichung Harbor.
Coast Guard officials wore full protective gear when they boarded the ship anchored at wharf No. 22 in Taichung Harbor, in light of recent reports of the spread of avian flu throughout Asia and Europe. TV footage showed workers unloading birds from the ship.
"The Panama-registered ship Da Ji Lun attempted to smuggle several species of birds from Fujian Province, some of which initially came from Southeast Asia -- an area affected by avian flu," the Coast Guard said in a press release yesterday.
"More than 1,500 birds, including thrushes, Indian grackles, canaries and others -- as well as a number of animals such as mice and turtles -- were brought in," the statement said.
The Coast Guard said the species carried by the smugglers were potential carriers of avian flu.
"The birds and other animals would have gone to market if investigators had not uncovered the smuggling operation," the statement said.
The birds and animals will be destroyed soon.
The Coast Guard said it learned in May that the Da Ji Lun was attempting to smuggle a large number of birds from China to Taiwan, and started to track the ship.
Several days ago the ship left Fujian Province. It made a detour to Okinawa and entered Taichung Harbor yesterday morning.
A Chinese sailor named Chen Xi-tan (
In August, the Coast Guard intercepted a Taiwanese fishing boat carrying more than 4,500 birds from China at a fishing harbor in Kaoshiung.
The Taiwan government is concerned that rampant smuggling from China may trigger an outbreak of bird flu or other diseases in Taiwan.
President Chen Shui-bian (
The Department of Health has warned that there is a serious risk of bird flu breaking out in Taiwan between January and March next year, and a US health agency has predicted as many as 14,000 Taiwanese deaths in the event of an outbreak.
Scientists worry that the avian-flu virus may mutate into a form that is capable of human-to-human transmission, resulting in a global pandemic that could leave millions dead worldwide.
US President Donald Trump yesterday announced sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" on US trading partners, including a 32 percent tax on goods from Taiwan that is set to take effect on Wednesday. At a Rose Garden event, Trump declared a 10 percent baseline tax on imports from all countries, with the White House saying it would take effect on Saturday. Countries with larger trade surpluses with the US would face higher duties beginning on Wednesday, including Taiwan (32 percent), China (34 percent), Japan (24 percent), South Korea (25 percent), Vietnam (46 percent) and Thailand (36 percent). Canada and Mexico, the two largest US trading
ACTION PLAN: Taiwan would expand procurement from the US and encourage more companies to invest in the US to deepen bilateral cooperation, Lai said The government would not impose reciprocal tariffs in retaliation against US levies, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, as he announced five strategies to address the issue, including pledging to increase Taiwanese companies’ investments in the US. Lai has in the past few days met with administrative and national security officials, as well as representatives from various industries, to explore countermeasures after US President Donald Trump on Wednesday last week announced a 32 percent duty on Taiwanese imports. In a video released yesterday evening, Lai said that Taiwan would not retaliate against the US with higher tariffs and Taiwanese companies’ commitments to
‘SPECIAL CHANNEL’: Taipei’s most important tasks are to stabilize industries affected by Trump’s trade tariffs and keep negotiations with Washington open, a source said National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) arrived in the US for talks with US President Donald Trump’s administration, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday. Wu was leading a delegation for a meeting known as the “special channel,” the Financial Times reported earlier. It marked Trump’s first use of the channel since returning to the White House on Jan. 20. Citing a source familiar with the matter, the Financial Times reported that Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) was also a part of the delegation. The visit came days after China concluded war games around Taiwan and amid Trump’s
CHIP EXCEPTION: An official said that an exception for Taiwanese semiconductors would have a limited effect, as most are packaged in third nations before being sold The Executive Yuan yesterday decried US President Donald Trump’s 32 percent tariff on Taiwanese goods announced hours earlier as “unfair,” saying it would lodge a representation with Washington. The Cabinet in a statement described the pledged US tariffs, expected to take effect on Wednesday next week, as “deeply unreasonable” and “highly regrettable.” Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said that the government would “lodge a solemn representation” with the US Trade Representative and continue negotiating with Washington to “ensure the interests of our nation and industries.” Trump at a news conference in Washington on Wednesday announced a 10 percent baseline tariff on most goods
RSS