WELLINGTON: The Egg Producers Federation supports the $45,000 fine given to a chicken enthusiast for attempting to illegally import live eggs for her hobby.
“New Zealand is uniquely free of major avian diseases and any illegal imports of live eggs pose a serious threat to New Zealand’s commercial poultry industry,” says Michael Brooks, Executive Director of the Egg Producers Federation.
“Illegal imports pose a grave risk of introducing diseases such as avian influenza which has devastated poultry farms in parts of Asia, Africa, Europe and North America since 2003.
“The New Zealand egg and poultry meat industries provide over 4,000 jobs and earn over $2 billion a year. Avian diseases also pose a potential risk to the native bird population of New Zealand.”
In a successful prosecution brought by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), Karen Joanne Legget, 52, of New Plymouth, was found guilty in the Auckland District Court on 29 May of three charges under the Biosecurity Act of knowingly possessing unauthorised goods. Judge Blackie fined Ms Leggett $15,000 on each charge and $630 costs – $45,630 in total, reflecting the serious nature of her actions.
