The Australian Border Force Commissioner has cancelled the visa of a Chinese national who attempted to bring exotic live eggs into Australia.
It is the eleventh visa cancellation since the introduction of new biosecurity laws in October last year.
Minister for Agriculture, David Littleproud said the 40-year-old Chinese passenger, who was travelling from Taiwan to Brisbane, failed to declare five exotic bird eggs intended for hatching.
“Australia is lucky to be free from many of the world’s most damaging animal diseases and plant pests that could have a significant environmental and economic impact if they arrived here,” Mr Littleproud said.
“These eggs could have posed a real disease risk to Australian birds, with the potential for diseases to jump species to other native bird populations,” he said.
“Illegally imported bird eggs can transmit diseases and threaten Australia’s multi-billion-dollar poultry industries, including avian influenza and Newcastle disease.”
He said that due to the cancellation the visitor could not apply for another visa for three years.
“It is disappointing that some travellers are still not heeding warnings and continue to bring biosecurity risk items with them despite clear warnings about the serious risks to Australia’s economy and environment,” Mr Littleproud said.
“This passenger contravened the Biosecurity Act 2015 by knowingly failing to declare the eggs on their incoming passenger card — that’s why we introduced tough legislation to allow Australian Border Force officials to cancel visitor visas when a passenger commits a serious biosecurity breach.”
