A new dog squad specifically trained to sniff out products of animal origin have been introduced in ports to help stem diseases such as African swine fever.
The detector dogs, accompanied by handlers and funded by the Scottish government, will be based full time at airports, ports and parcel hubs across Scotland.
They will help stop the introduction of exotic animal diseases, such as African swine fever (ASF) and foot and mouth disease.
It comes after the public were recently urged not to bring any meat or meat products with them when returning to the UK, as they could carry ASF.
The lethal pig disease is currently spreading in domestic animals across Germany, and has also been found in Belgium, Romania, and Poland.
Asian countries – including major pig producing countries such as China and Vietnam – have been hit particularly hard by it, and cases have also been reported in Sub Saharan Africa.
The disease has resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of pigs and wild boar in Europe, and millions in Asia.
ASF has an on-farm mortality rate of up to 100% and there is no vaccine for the disease, leading to worries that any UK outbreak would devastate the domestic pig sector.
Figures provided by Border Force North show that in 2020 more than a tonne of products of animal origin (PoAO) was seized at ports and airports from people seeking to enter Scotland.
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said the detector dog service would enhance the detection of illegal PoAO and reduce the risk of ASF and other exotic diseases.
"Alongside their handlers, they have taken part in a robust training regime and now that they have passed their assessments they can get to work and help us detect PoAO entering Scotland illegally," she said.
“Monthly seizure data provided by Border Force North helps us ascertain where PoAO originate from and helps us identify periods where seizures are above average.
"We work closely with colleges and universities to ensure that international students studying in Scotland are aware of rules regarding the import of PoAO."
Assistant director for Border Force Scotland, Marie Craig added: “Border Force detector dogs protect the UK from over a tonne of potentially harmful products that could spread disease each year.
“The deployment of specially trained detector dogs across our ports in Scotland will further improve our ability to protect the public from the importation of exotic diseases.”
