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Summary
- NZ$31500 charged from woman selling “edible bird’s nests” (unauthorised goods in NZ) in Auckland.
- Sentenced in the Waitakere District court, Linying Ouyang pleaded guilty to three counts under the Biosecurity Act (1993).
- Consumption and distribution of such nests put the country at the risk of avian pathogens exposure.
As per a recent report, a 30-year-old woman, Linying Ouyang, selling “edible bird’s nests”, was fined a sum of NZ$31,500 at the Waitakere District Court in Auckland, New Zealand.
She pleaded guilty to three charges, as per Biosecurity Act (1993), and received the sentence on 11 January 2020.
Ron Scott, the national manager compliance investigations at the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI), stated that the Chinese delicacy (bird’s nests) is created by the Swiftlet Bird’s saliva, which is known to be a disease carrier.
Image Source: Shutterstock
Preplanned activities
Further revealing that the offence was preplanned, Scott said the edible bird’s nests were being sold for financial interests. It was not just a one-of incident where someone had randomly tried to sell an exotic thing to someone.
Consumption and distribution of such nests put the country at the risk of avian pathogen exposures. The MPI is determined to take strong actions in such cases and it shows the organisation’s dedication in dealing with impending risks.
When did this occur?
These cases took place between May 8 to November 25, 2019. A search warrant was issued against Ms. Ouyang house on November 25, 2019.
Investigation and findings
As part of the investigation, Ms. Ouyang’s laptop and mobile phone were seized and WeChat app conversations were analysed. They revealed that there had already been two successful transactions while there had been 4 other attempts to sell these edible nests. The same had been advertised on WeChat group together with a picture of bird’s nests.
Including all transactions, the total amount earned by Ms. Ouyang by the sale of the bird’s nests was NZ$765.
Image Source: Shutterstock
Ministry calls upon locals for help
MPI has urged everyone to be aware of such incidents and alert about the possible imported animal/product sales. They can reach out to Biosecurity New Zealand at its phone number- 0800809966. It was further said that the calls could even be kept anonymous as per the caller’s wish.
