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Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Answer

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what quantity of illegal meat was seized coming into the UK at each airport and seaport in each of the last 22 months; and what percentage of each seizure was defined as bushmeat. [92611] Mr. Morley: The table shows details of the quantities of illegal meats seized in each of the last 22 months, and the amount of bushmeat seized as a proportion of all seizures of Products of Animal Origin. The information requested against each airport and seaport would be available only at a disproportionate cost. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Date Number of meat seizures Quantity of meat seized Quantity of bushmeat Bushmeat as percentage (kg) seized (kg) of all seizures 2001 April 154 943 237 1.5 May 95 2,170 932 16.2 June 84 521 34 1.1 July 75 425 71 1.3 August 174 9,577 68 0.4 September 128 735 125 1.7 October 125 1,251 282 4.1 November 76 224 29 0.1 December 53 183 11 4.5 2002 January 124 546 33 0.9 February 70 991 35 0.8 March 99 1,980 953 27.0 April 112 361 18 1.1 May 84 531 197 6.9 June 113 538 130 6.5 July 158 1,445 149 3.3 August 171 2,183 116 2.8 September 143 839 90 1.3 October 184 816 53 0.6 November 156 1,346 301 3.8 December 236 1,400 175 2.1 2003 1-17 January 66 165 27 2.8 Total 2,680 29,172 4,065 2.5 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Bushmeat is defined as the meat of any wild animal hunted for food. It is not necessarily from endangered species. There is little evidence that meat from endangered species for human consumption is entering the country on a large scale. Indeed, bushmeat forms a very small proportion of illegal imports seized--around 2.5 per cent. Chicken or pork make up the vast majority of reported meat seizures.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

92611; 399 c163-4W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Airports Prosecutions Ports Meat Wildlife Smuggling

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk