 The Ministry of Agriculture has increased the monitoring and surveillance of the importation of meat products to ensure conformity to public health guidelines and procedures. Travelers are advised to exercise caution and avoid transporting pork products, as they pose several animal health risks, as diseases can be transmitted. Animal Health Officer Columbus Philippe encourages the general public to obtain an import permit to ensure the product is fit for consumption and allows for the importation of meat and meat products with minimal risk to the animal and human populations. The risk that the importation of these items possess is the introduction of foreign diseases into our country. Normally the normal procedure would have been if you desire of bringing meat into the country, you would apply for an import permit. Then we would scrutinize the country of origin. If it's accepted from the country of origin, then we'll permit it to come in. But normally those persons, they don't have the time or they disregard the advice to seek an import permit and they put it in the mortgages and they come in with it. So it poses a very high risk to our animal health situation. Mr Philippe emphasized the importance of public vigilance in the fight against African swine fever, ASF, which is on the rise in the Caribbean. The deadly viral disease affects domestic and feral swine of all ages. While it poses no risk to human health and cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans, its discovery in St. Lucia would have a significant impact on livestock producers, communities and the economy. African swine fever can be very devastating to our animal population, especially swine. The presence of this disease can wipe out our entire swine population and this is very serious matter. So the more persons we have that are vigilant and the more persons we are that are cognizant of the fact that this poses a risk, the entry of cash, what you think that might be casual, I think most of Yankosha, you know this kind of things, it's very significant. Travelers and citizens alike are asked to contact their local extension office or the veterinary and livestock services division if they need further clarification on the correct protocols when importing meat. From the communications unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, I am Anisia Antoine reporting.