Illegal Importation Research Articles

Death in the Mouth: The Current Status of Pesticide Residues in Cured Fish from Selected Markets in Rivers State Nigeria

Pesticide residues in cured fish from selected markets in Rivers State, Nigeria were determined to compare their residues content with FAO/WHO MRLs. The research was carried out at Ignatius Ajuru University of Education and Austino Research Laboratories, Rivers State, Nigeria. Samples of cured fish were collected from different major markets in Rivers State, Nigeria. Each product was purchased from three different traders and kept in an air tight Ziploc envelope containing general information. Some of the samples were kept in 250 g plastic containers and kept on a laboratory bench for a period of 45 days to observe insect emergence while the other lots were taken to Austino Research Laboratory for pesticide residue analysis. The result shows varying degrees of damage ranging from slightly to undamaged and mean number of D. maculatus emergence was higher in smoked fish samples obtained at Rumuokwuta. The result also shows that in all the cured fish sampled, DDT, Captan, Hexazinone, and Tecnazene were found above the FAO/WHO MRLs and few compounds were below the MRLs. Conclusively, relevant authorities and agencies needs to increase surveillance and monitoring to check and control the illegal importation, sale and use of such compounds especially in controlling stored pests of cured fish. This could reduce cases of pesticide toxicity and food poisoning and other health implications due to its ingestion in such contaminated cured fish.

Peculiarities of Formation and Implementation of the State Environmental Policy in the sphere of Solid Waste Management in foreign countries

The paper presents the author’s view of the problem range of solid waste in the world through the prism of balancing interests. The global trends of solid waste generation per capita by region are considered. The features of solid waste management and the application of waste management methods in different countries are highlighted. The morphology of waste streams in high- and low-income countries is analyzed. The concept of cooperation as a consolidation of efforts, achievement of a common goal of solving urgent problems, and its essential characteristics are investigated. It is revealed that the social effect of cooperation depends on the willingness of the subjects to form partnerships, as well as on favorable conditions, specifically: proper legislative support, quality of service delivery, stability of pricing, economic policy, effectiveness of the mechanism of management decision-making.
 The destructive factors of the balancing of interests in the field of solid waste management and their determinants are identified: an increase in volumes of illegal trade in waste, inconsistency of product quality with the information provided in the documentation, falsification of the trade mark as recyclable, masking of hazardous waste. The factors of intensification of conflict and imbalance of relations in connection with illegal import of waste, non-observance of interests of the host party and its inability to defend its own interests in the international arena are analyzed. It has been found that there is a shift in focus from balancing the relationship to the category of profit, whereby the solution of the problem of solid household waste is based on the principle of «cost-cutting and maximizing profit».
 The differences in the stages of implementing environmental policy at the national and transnational levels are generalized. The problem of increasing the volume of plastic in the composition of waste is emphasized and the causes of the global crisis of waste management due to the decision of China to ban the import of waste are discussed. The directions of stabilizing the situation and balancing of relations in the world solid waste management are offered.

Stricter Quarantine Measures against Illegal Import of Livestock Products

Stricter Quarantine Measures against Illegal Import of Livestock Products

Intervensi Negara Melalui Lembaga Hisbah Untuk Keseimbangan Harga Dalam Perspektif Hukum Ekonomi Syariah

Abstract
 Indonesia is a country where the majority of the population is Muslim, Islam in intervention activities allows state interference in economic activities. Because, if economic activities only rely on market mechanisms, it can be a fatal risk for general problems. The weakness of the market mechanism is that the market is always in favor of the strong, both in terms of capital, science, technology, and management. In addition, there is interference from the government. The government intervention of the Republic of Indonesia in handling current economic problems is one of them through Law No. 39 of 2007 concerning customs. Illegal export and import goods can damage the economic system because it disrupts the market balance. So the definition of market intervention is government interference in regulating the market economy, which aims to maintain price stability. The main purpose is to control the developing price situation, whether it is normal or there is a price surge, is it due to scarcity of goods or other factors that are not fair. From this inspection, the monitoring team gets objective data that can be followed up in response.

Live exotic animals legally and illegally imported via the main Dutch airport and considerations for public health.

The trade in live animals and animal products is considered one of the major drivers of zoonotic disease emergence. Schiphol airport in the Netherlands is one of the largest European airports and is considered a main hub for legal and illegal import of exotic animals. However, so far there is little information about what pathogens these imported animals might carry with them. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the zoonotic risks of exotic animals imported into the Netherlands through Schiphol airport in 2013 and 2014. Based on a previous list of highly prioritised emerging zoonoses for the Netherlands (EmZoo list), WAHID and Promed databases, literature and expert opinions, a list of 143 potentially relevant zoonotic pathogens was compiled. In a step-wise selection process eighteen pathogen-host combinations that may pose a public health risk by the import of exotic animals via Schiphol airport were identified and these were assessed by expert elicitation. The five pathogens with the highest combined scores were Salmonella spp., Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus, West Nile virus, Yersinia pestis and arenaviruses, but overall, the public health risk of the introduction of these exotic pathogens into the Netherlands via the legal import of exotic animals was considered low. However, the vast majority of imported exotic animals were imported by trade companies, increasing the risk for specific groups such as retail and hobbyists/pet owners. It is expected that the risk of introduction of exotic zoonotic pathogens via illegal import is substantial due to the unknown health status. Due to changing trade patterns combined with changing epidemiological situation in the world and changing epidemiological features of pathogens, this risk assessment needs regular updating. The results could give directions for further adjusting of health requirements and risk based additional testing of imported exotic animals.

GLOBAL QUANTIFICATION AND INVENTORY DEMAND FOR SILVER IN CHINA

ABSTRACTThis article provides an initial (partial) estimate of silver quantities held within China around mid-18thcentury, utilising archival evidence related to wealth confiscations. Better future estimates for overall Chinese silver holdings could also facilitate more accurate estimation of Chinese silver (legal plus illegal) imports. Similar analyses for other world regions could eventually yield estimates for global silver stock holdings, useful in turn for improving global silver mining and trade flow estimates. Extensive contraband silver mining and silver trade are known to have escaped official recordation, by definition. If methodologies suggested herein prove successful, then parallel non-silver-trade-good estimates could follow. Current exclusive focus upon production and trade flows should be reevaluated in the context of linkages with accumulations of goods (wealth components). Economic history could someday provide a prominent stage for the historical study of wealth holdings, thereby furnishing context for increasing wealth concentrations observable worldwide today.

Import tax evasion and avoidance: Evidence from Iran

While import taxes are easier to levy, there is increasingly more evidence that importers engage in trade tax evasion. The literature uses, trade gap, the difference between reports from the two ends of a trade link, as a proxy for illegal imports. Many papers have found a robust positive correlation between import tax rates and the trade gap. However, like any other tax, importers could avoid paying import duties through legal provisions. Such opportunities are abundant in Iran and could impose a downward bias on the evasion elasticity estimates. Using disaggregated trade reports from 21 partners and Iran Customs Administration from 2004 to 2013, we show three results. First, a one-percentage-point increase in the tax rate is significantly associated with a 1.8% increase in the trade gap. But once we control for avoidance, this effect increases to 2.5%. Second, there is a significant negative correlation between our avoidance proxy and the trade gap. Third, we document that a one-percentage-point increase in tariff rates is associated with a 0.6 percentage-point increase in tariff revenue. Assuming an inelastic import demand, the results suggest avoidance plays a greater role than evasion in tariff revenue reduction in response to an increase in tax rates. This finding indicates that the government could increase tariff revenue by cutting legal loopholes. Results are robust to many specification tests.

Retraction Notice to “Estimates of illegal and unreported seafood imports to Japan”

Abstract An investigation of illegal and unreported fishing in source countries indicates that 24–36% of 2.15 million tonnes of wild-seafood imports to Japan in 2015 were of illegal and unreported origin, valued at $1.6 to $2.4 billion, out of a total import of US$ 13 billion. A supply chain case study of crab imported from Russia illustrates the intricacies of trade in illegal seafood products in this region. Weakly framed import regulations and outdated fisheries policies appear to be driving an inadvertent trade of illegal and unreported seafood products into the Japanese market. A multilateral approach could extend the strict requirements for food safety to the country of origin and provide more complete supply chain traceability for all commercial seafood species imported by Japan.

Impacts of the influx of e-waste into Hong Kong after China has tightened up entry regulations

China was the world’s largest importer of e-waste in the 2000s, with e-waste entering the country via different pathways. It was treated informally by using primitive techniques. Since the 2010s, the quantities of illegal importation have been gradually decreasing as China started to amend and enforce the importation ban policy. The amount of imported e-waste is predicted to disappear in the coming decades if China keeps to her stringent enforcements. Being a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, Hong Kong (HK) pursues an independent judiciary, rule of law and retains a free trading policy. As such, a substantial amount of e-waste has entered HK, and is stored in the northern part of the New Territories (NT). Some of the e-waste has been dismantled and recycled, jeopardizing the local environmental and the human health of this increasingly affluent city. This article reviews the effects of the new movement of global e-waste, to find out whether the same mistakes made in China are being repeated in HK, in particular, the environmental and health impacts of recycling e-waste. In addition, the management strategies to deal with the problems in this densely populated city are also summarized.

The epidemiology of foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks and its history in Iraq

Background and Aims:Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is reported in Iraq since 1937 and occurs as a devastating seasonal epidemic. This study intended to explore the epidemiology of FMD in Iraq during 2011-2016, through assessment of outbreak reports among cow, buffalo, and small ruminants (sheep and goat) in 15 Iraqi governorates except for Kurdistan region.Materials and Methods:The reported data regarding FMD cases were collected from veterinary hospitals in 15 Iraqi governorates and were analyzed.Results:The results revealed annual FMD outbreaks in cow, buffalo, and small ruminants in Iraqi governorates with variability in the numbers of the infected and dead animals. The total number of infected animals increased in 2016 compared to 2015 due to the illegal importation of FMD-infected cows at the end of 2015. The prevalence rates of FMD were 68.7%, 46.6%, and 30.3% in cattle, buffalo, and small ruminants, respectively, in 2016, while this was 18.4%, 19.9%, and 17.3%, respectively, in 2015.Conclusion:This study approved the reemergence and endemic nature of FMD in Iraqi livestock. Prompt procedures and a new future strategy need to be implemented to control the increasing incidences of FMD in Iraq.

Human exposure to banned pesticides reported to the French Poison Control Centers: 2012–2016

In 2008, 30 active substances from plant protection products were banned from marketing in France. Nevertheless, the French Poison Control Centers continue to see cases of poisoning caused by these active substances that are no longer approved. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of the reported cases in mainland France and in overseas French territories, over the period 2012–2016. A total of 408 cases of human exposure were reported during the study period. The most commonly reported substances were dichlorvos (24.8%, n = 108), paraquat (23.8%, n = 97), aldicarb (14.7%, n = 60), diuron (9.6%, n = 39), dinocap (5.1%, n = 21), methomyl (4.2%, n = 17), carbofuran (3.9%, n = 16), anthraquinone (2.9%, n = 12) and carbendazim (2.7%, n = 11). The number of cases of intoxication dropped sharply between 2012 (n = 119) and 2016 (n = 47), except in the overseas French territories. Among the 72 serious cases (severe or life-threatening or with a fatal outcome), the most common substances involved were paraquat (n = 34), aldicarb (n = 24) and carbofuran (n = 7). This study suggests persistent use of carbamate insecticides, the existence of illegal imports of dichlorvos or paraquat-based products, and the use of certain banned fungicides in the professional agricultural sector. Information and collection campaigns are therefore essential after the withdrawal of marketing authorization for the plant protection products.

Estimates of illegal and unreported seafood imports to Japan

An investigation of illegal and unreported fishing in source countries, including product mixing during movement through intermediary countries and reprocessing in the product supply chain, indicates that 24–36% of 2.15 million tonnes of wild-seafood imports to Japan in 2015 contained material of illegal and unreported origin, valued at $1.6 to $2.4 billion, out of a total import of US$ 13 billion. Estimates, with appropriate uncertainties, were made using information from over 312 sources including 121 structured interviews with anonymous correspondents relating to 27 product import chains and in data poor fisheries. A supply chain case study of crab imported from Russia illustrates the intricacies of trade in illegal seafood products in this region. Weakly framed import regulations and outdated fisheries policies appear to be driving an inadvertent trade of illegal and unreported seafood products into the Japanese market. A multilateral approach could extend the strict requirements for food safety to the country of origin and provide more complete supply chain traceability for all commercial seafood species imported by Japan.

Brucella-positive raw milk cheese sold on the inner European market: A public health threat due to illegal import?

Travel and migration are the major drivers of human brucellosis in Western Europe. The infection is usually transmitted through the consumption of unpasteurized milk or dairy products in or from endemic regions. Although eradicated from livestock in Germany and most Member States of the European Union, considerable numbers of domestic human brucellosis cases have been reported annually. The actual source of these autochthonous cases in non-endemic countries remains to be elucidated.We therefore evaluated the presence of Brucella spp. in 200 cheese samples originating from endemic countries which were sold at weekly markets, in supermarkets and by delis in Berlin (Germany) as well as online. The cheese samples included loose, non-labelled and pre-packed, labelled cheese of five types (brine, cream, soft, semi-hard and hard cheese), made from bovine, ovine and caprine milk. The cheese was mainly declared as raw milk cheese by the retailers. We screened for and confirmed the presence of Brucella-DNA in cheese using genus-specific quantitative real-time PCRs targeting IS711 and bcsp31, respectively. The molecular prevalence of Brucella was 20.5% (n = 41), but viable Brucellae could not be isolated from the positively tested samples using classical culture methods. The logistic regression model indicated that Brucella was significantly more often detected in late summer purchases (p = 0.036) as well as in cheese from Bulgaria, France, Greece and Turkey (p = 0.017). In contrast to the vendor information, essentially only three positive cheese samples were made from raw milk. Moreover, positive samples clustered at certain vendors which indicates large-scale illegal imports.In summary, Brucella in imported raw milk cheese seems to be still a challenge for food safety standards in the European Union. Uncontrolled import of dairy products from endemic regions might explain human Brucella infections acquired in non-endemic EU countries.

An estimation of the economic loss for the squid and cuttlefish industry in Japan due to illegal and unreported imports

An estimation of the economic loss for the squid and cuttlefish industry in Japan due to illegal and unreported imports

Специфіка діяльності митних лабораторій ЄС

Стаття присвячена дослідженню специфіки діяльності митних лабораторій в Європейському Союзі з метою визначення підходів щодо здійснення експертної діяльності, які можуть стати перспективними та корисними з метою запровадження у роботі Департаменту податкових та митних експертиз ДФС. Актуальність теми дослідження обумовлена євроінтеграційним курсом України, у зв’язку з чим вивчення і формування шляхів адаптації до національних реалій досвіду та сучасних підходів щодо роботи митних лабораторій в ЄС може бути досить корисним для України. У результаті проведення дослідження визначено, що Європейські митні лабораторії є важливим інструментом для митних та податкових органів, тому що їхня робота має вирішальне значення для традиційних галузей митної, акцизної та сільськогосподарської політики, таких як аналіз з метою визначення тарифної класифікації, ставки мита та інших податків. Також митні лабораторії ЄС відіграють важливу роль в інших видах діяльності, зокрема операції щодо боротьби із шахрайством, визначення автентичності та походження продуктів, виявлення нелегального імпорту як наркотичних речовин та прекурсорів, захист споживачів від небезпечних вантажів або забруднюючих продуктів, захист навколишнього середовища та видів, що перебувають під загрозою зникнення. Встановлено, що в рамках загальної мети підтримки функціонування та модернізації Європейського митного союзу митні лабораторії працюють одночасно для координації своєї діяльності та обміну досвідом. Для цього використовуються налагоджені зв’язки (в межах Європейського Союзу та у всьому світі), порівняльний аналіз, оцінка результатів, оновлення баз даних, співпраця з іншими зацікавленими сторонами та інформаційні ініціативи. При цьому CLEN постійно працює над розробкою нових методів роботи та способів співпраці, а також впровадження останніх досягнень у галузі технологій у роботу як самих митних лабораторій ЄС, так і на кордоні через удосконалення мобільних лабораторій та портативних пристроїв.

Review of epidemiological risk models for foot-and-mouth disease: Implications for prevention strategies with a focus on Africa.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly infectious transboundary disease that affects domestic and wild cloven-hoofed animal species. The aim of this review was to identify and critically assess some modelling techniques for FMD that are well supported by scientific evidence from the literature with a focus on their use in African countries where the disease remains enzootic. In particular, this study attempted to provide a synopsis of the relative strengths and weaknesses of these models and their relevance to FMD prevention policies. A literature search was conducted to identify quantitative and qualitative risk assessments for FMD, including studies that describe FMD risk factor modelling and spatiotemporal analysis. A description of retrieved papers and a critical assessment of the modelling methods, main findings and their limitations were performed. Different types of models have been used depending on the purpose of the study and the nature of available data. The most frequently identified factors associated with the risk of FMD occurrence were the movement (especially uncontrolled animal movement) and the mixing of animals around water and grazing points. Based on the qualitative and quantitative risk assessment studies, the critical pathway analysis showed that the overall risk of FMDV entering a given country is low. However, in some cases, this risk can be elevated, especially when illegal importation of meat and the movement of terrestrial livestock are involved. Depending on the approach used, these studies highlight shortcomings associated with the application of models and the lack of reliable data from endemic settings. Therefore, the development and application of specific models for use in FMD endemic countries including Africa is encouraged.

Legal Review on the Illegal Import of Coal from North Korea

Legal Review on the Illegal Import of Coal from North Korea

The 2018 American and Chinese Trade Wars Risk Undermining the World Trading System and Constitutional Democracies

The American and Chinese trade wars of 2018 risk undermining not only the law of the World Trade Organization (WTO, section I). As tariffs tax and restrict domestic citizens and redistribute their income, illegal import tariffs (e.g. as imposed by US President Trump) - and the collective undermining of the WTO Appellate Body and dispute settlement system - also run counter to the democratic mandates given by parliaments when they approved the 1994 WTO Agreement and incorporated it into domestic legal systems, as illustrated by trade laws and policies in the USA (section II) and in the European Union (EU, section III). Multilevel governance of global public goods (PGs) - like the WTO trading system, which has helped to lift billions of people out of poverty by promoting unprecedented economic welfare, transnational rule of law and compulsory third-party dispute settlements - cannot remain effective if citizens and democratic institutions fail to hold their governments democratically and legally accountable for violating ‘PGs treaties’ (section IV). This contribution uses the example of the USA and the EU for arguing that constitutional democracies - including Asian democracies like India, Korea and Japan - must adopt more specific trade legislation protecting the WTO legal system. Multilevel governance of transnational PGs requires empowering citizens, parliaments and courts of justice to limit populist abuses of trade policy powers to tax and restrict citizens in manifestly illegal ways reducing general consumer welfare, non-discriminatory competition and rule of law.

Rabies in the Caribbean: A Situational Analysis and Historic Review.

Rabies virus is the only Lyssavirus species found in the Americas. In discussions about rabies, Latin America and the Caribbean are often grouped together. Our study aimed to independently analyse the rabies situation in the Caribbean and examine changes in rabies spatiotemporal epidemiology. A questionnaire was administered to the 33 member countries and territories of the Caribbean Animal Health Network (CaribVET) to collect current data, which was collated with a literature review. Rabies was endemic in ten Caribbean localities, with the dog, mongoose, and vampire bat identified as enzootic reservoirs. The majority of animal cases occurred in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti, while human cases only consistently occurred in the latter two areas. Rabies vaccination was conducted for high-risk animal populations with variable coverage, and rabies diagnostic capacities varied widely throughout the region. Illegal importation and natural migration of animals may facilitate the introduction of rabies virus variants into virus-naïve areas. Passive surveillance, together with enhanced methods and serological screening techniques, can therefore be of value. The insularity of the Caribbean makes it ideal for conducting pilot studies on reservoir host population management. Best practice guidelines developed for these reservoir hosts can be individually modified to the epidemiological status and available resources within each locality.

The same old mistakes in aquaculture: the newly-available striped catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus is on its way to putting Brazilian freshwater ecosystems at risk

In the state of Sao Paulo in southeastern Brazil, a dangerous decree allows the culture of hybrids and non-native extralimital fish species in the Parana and East Atlantic River basins. We recorded the illegal importation and sale of the non-native striped catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus in northeastern, central-western, southeastern, and southern areas of the country. This species is already consumed across Brazil and is cultivated for ornamental purposes. Besides escapes from fish farms and ‘fish and pays’, P. hypophthalmus can reach natural environments through aquarium dumping and ornamental ponds, motivated by its large size that reach after being sold at small size. The species has been introduced in many countries, and if established in Brazil, could put native Brazilian biodiversity and ecosystems at risk. Although importing specimens of P. hypophthalmus is prohibited by law, Decree 62.243/2016 in the state of Sao Paulo creates a new opportunity for invasion. In fact, once a novel fish species is moved to a new continent, it is irrational to supposed that it will stay static just in the area for which it was intended. In general, the fish disperse in the novel area on their own, by escapes from captivity or deliberate and illicit releases by persons or associations. The unwise attitude of Brazilian decision-makers and lay people in their attempt to develop aquaculture with non-native species goes against the objectives of responsible aquaculture based in native species.