In 2021, a Finnish fur feed mixture imported fish waste from Denmark for use as a feed raw material. In Denmark, fish waste was stored in a farm that also had dead minks that had been killed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Danish party should have applied to the Finnish Food Safety Authority for prior authorization to send the product to Finland due to a higher than usual animal disease risk.
At the request of the Food Agency, the Customs investigation has investigated the case of suspected illegal importation of animal by-products. A total of 1.3 million kilos of fish waste was imported into the fur feed mixture in Ostrobothnia. The amount corresponds to 45 truck loads. Feed containing fish waste was delivered to about 50 Ostrobothnian fur farms during the spring and summer of 2021. The import value of the total amount of the product was more than 200,000 euros.
According to the Finnish Food Safety Authority, illegal activities have caused a serious risk of the spread of animal diseases in Finland. Such diseases include various fish diseases, Salmonella and coronavirus disease. These activities are considered to pose a risk to human health and a serious risk to animal health.
A major European precedent in criminal investigations into food chains
Customs co-operated with the Danish police and the EU law enforcement agency Europol in the preliminary investigation. The matter is being investigated as smuggling, causing a risk of spreading an animal disease and violating the By-Products Act.
In Finland, three people responsible for the operation of the feed mixer are suspected. The feed mix, which has been operating for several decades, has supplied feed to dozens of fur farms in Ostrobothnia. Finnish Customs has co-operated with the Danish police authorities in the investigation.
To the knowledge of Customs and the Authority, no such criminal investigation has ever been carried out in Europe. The Finnish Food Safety Authority considers criminal investigations to be significant in Finland. The case will be transferred to the Prosecutor during the autumn.
– Criminal activity is constantly changing. We should now consider whether there is a wider scale of punishment for this type of serious, socially threatening crime. It should examine whether the Finnish Penal Code should contain a provision on aggravated smuggling. The current scale of penalties does not apply to import cases investigated as smuggling, unlike similar cases of suspected crime. This sends an unintended signal that these crimes are not as serious as other criminal acts, says Mr. Hannu SinkkonenDirector of Control of Finnish Customs.
Legislation on by-products aims to protect public and animal health
The use of animal by-products is regulated by national and EU legislation. By-products contain parts of animals that are not used as food.
Animal by-products are divided into three categories according to how serious a health risk they pose. Fish waste imported as feed material is in category 2 and the Food and Drug Administration does not allow the import of such animal by-products due to the risk of animal diseases.
Some animal diseases are only contagious between animals, but some can also infect humans. In order to manage the risk of the disease and prevent it from spreading, there is common EU legislation that also sets rules for trade in by-products within the EU. Before high-risk products are dispatched to another Member State, the risks of animal diseases must first be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Shippers must also seek appropriate authorization. In Finland, the corresponding permits are the responsibility of the Food Agency.
– The animal disease situation in Europe has deteriorated significantly in recent years. For example, African swine fever, highly pathogenic avian influenza and IHN fish disease have spread in Europe. In this case, the activities of the company that received the consignment of fish waste and the company that sent it have created a risk of the spread of animal diseases, says the lady. Terhi LaaksonenDirector of the Animal Health and Welfare Department of the Food Agency.
Legislation on by-products aims to protect public and animal health. Properly handled, the by-products do not pose a risk to human or animal health. Category 2 products must be processed as required before they can be used, for example, as fertilizer or feed for fur animals.
This is a crime linked to the food chain. Customs and the Food Agency have co-developed measures to combat such crimes as part of a co-operation project between the authorities to combat the gray economy and financial crime.
Source: Customs
Source: The Nordic Page