Ebola crisis: why is there bush meat in the UK?

[merehazle]

The Ebola virus was probably spread by illegal bush meat - and there's plenty being smuggled into UK. 

It may also be spread by our government not taking immediate action it seems.  And how deadly is it not to do so? 

Warning,  it's best not tot look at my attachment if you are squeamish?  That's why I have not put up the picture directly. But I think it may be important for at least some to see.

[rose2008-2008]

Thats what i was thinking the other day surely there is meats and foods coming in from there that we are eating???. Very Worrying actually!!!!. The other day on the newspapers it said The World Worried about E.Bola,,then someone said the other day it could not possibly get into this country. Well are all the cargo and passenger checks suddenly scrupulous then?, because they certainly have not been in relation to other things!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

[merehazle]

Perhaps it's best that the picture did not come out so clear. Yes, they are monkeys.

[saasher2012]

It's a pity we don't exercise the stringent laws like some countries ie Australia & New Zealand in checking incoming passengers for this disgusting practise & other seeds & foodstuffs, it's been going on for years& as per usual this country is soft on the perpetrators .

[merehazle]

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@rose2008-2008 wrote:

Thats what i was thinking the other day surely there is meats and foods coming in from there that we are eating???. Very Worrying actually!!!!. The other day on the newspapers it said The World Worried about E.Bola,,then someone said the other day it could not possibly get into this country. Well are all the cargo and passenger checks suddenly scrupulous then?, because they certainly have not been in relation to other things!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

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Yes, I wonder who that someone was? Lets face it anyone and anyTHING! can get into our country. It obviously is getting in.  And our border controls (heh) after Theresa  May cut 1,000 staff hardly improve matters.

Then we have had for an awful long time (after the horse has bolted) government's.  

[upthecreekyetagain]

Contraband food, seeds and other plant materials can potentially cause real problems - the problem is how do you stop it?

Australia and New Zealand are often quoted as being examples to follow but even there less than 5% of incoming air and sea freight is scanned for contraband items. 

When it comes to individuals arriving in the country by air there are even bigger problems - can you imagine the scenes at Gatwick or Heathrow if everybody's luggage had to be opened to check for contraband.  If it is estimated that less than 10% of the drugs being smuggled into the country are discovered at the point of entry what chance is there for stopping people bringing illegal foodstuffs in.

[saasher2012]

Do we know what the percentage is for this country?

[suzieseaside]

I was just going to say why don't we use dogs to sniff out food at airports like they do in Australia / New Zealand, and they are very apparent and visible when you arrive,  but it seems that we do ..........

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/frontline-defence-at-the-airport-meet-the-food-fighter-sniff...

Can't say I have ever seen one (but then I haven't been abroad for quite a while). Maybe it's a relatively new thing. ?

[upthecreekyetagain]

Suzie - If the experience with drug sniffer dogs is anything to go by then I wonder just how effective sniffer dogs can be.

In the case of the 'drug' dogs their results show a very high false positive rate, sometimes as high as 70-80%.  Because they are indicating depending on smell then anyone who has been in recent contact with drugs still have the scent on them even though they may not actually be carrying any and this is picked up by the dogs.

In the case of food the number of false positives would surely be just as high.

[bankhaunter]

Wouldn't perhaps the knowledge the dogs may find illicit meat possibly put some off who would otherwise try bringing in the meat and unlike drugs only certain flights would need checking.

[saasher2012]

Perhaps if it was known that at both the start and the end of a journey especially the countries where this meat is coming from that stringent measures were being undertaken to both detect & prosecute, but that would take cooperation from both sides to carry it through, & yes it would mean delays,& that's why these people get away with it because they know that !.
It's a known fact that drug smugglers are devising new methods to avoid detection all the time to keep one step ahead of security checks, food on the other hand especially meat has a habit of going off unless treated, I would have thought a sniffer dog would have more effect in this particularly nasty form of smuggling.

[rose2008-2008]

They dont seem to find the bombs that are smuggled on to airlines to blow everyone to smithereens then what hope have we for E.Bola not coming into our Country?.

[saasher2012]

None Rose! Like everything else we only act after the event when it's too late!!.

[rose2008-2008]

Yes and then they say airport security has been tightened ,tell you what you can have in your hand luggage and what can and cant go in the hold????. AND THEN??. Another bomb explodes!!. talk about put your safety in peoples hands.

And all thes E.Bola doctors,nurses and helpers from our country,their obviously coming back here,,, what with. E.BOLA THATS WHAT POSSIBLY!!

[suzieseaside]

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@rose2008-2008 wrote:

Yes and then they say airport security has been tightened ,tell you what you can have in your hand luggage and what can and cant go in the hold????. AND THEN??. Another bomb explodes!!. talk about put your safety in peoples hands.

And all thes E.Bola doctors,nurses and helpers from our country,their obviously coming back here,,, what with. E.BOLA THATS WHAT POSSIBLY!!

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Another bomb explodes?  How many passenger planes have exploded due to bombs, since Lockerbie? 

Not many.  There have been more plots that failed (e.g. the shoe bomber) than those that succeeded.  Who knows how many more there might have been from liquid explosives if people were allowed to carry liquids in hand luggage.

P.S.  it's the Ebola virus, not E.Bola

[saasher2012]

As you have pointed out it is Ebola, but no matter how it's said if allowed to get into the country & left to spread will kill many people as there is no known cure as yet as far as I know, which is why the threat should not be taken lightly & everything no matter how much disruption is caused should be taken to minimise the risk, how that is achieved is another matter& I don't envy the people who have to find the answer!.

[joe_bloggs*]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/west-accused-of-tardiness-over-ebola-outbreak-9644671...

[upthecreekyetagain]

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@bankhaunter wrote:

Wouldn't perhaps the knowledge the dogs may find illicit meat possibly put some off who would otherwise try bringing in the meat and unlike drugs only certain flights would need checking.

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Sniffer dogs I'm sure are a deterrent but about the only limitation on flights needing checking would be that passengers from countries inside the EU can pretty well bring in what they want - from outside the EU there are restrictions on certain foodstuffs from almost every other country in the world!

[bankhaunter]

There is a complete ban on the personal import of meat into the EU so all countries should do checks on appropriate flights and checks could be made in the UK where direct flights are concerned.

[upthecreekyetagain]

Can you imagine the delays if every single flight into the UK, let alone the whole of the EU, had inspections of everybody's luggage -