1. Premier Cho Extends 10-Day Ban on Pig Transport to Contain African Swine Fever

Following the detection of an African swine fever (ASF) case in Taichung, Premier Cho Jung-tai on October 26 visited the Central ASF Command Center and announced five new containment measures. Cho said the government will first tighten biosecurity controls by extending the ban on pig transport and slaughter for 10 days, implementing rolling five-day operational plans based on expert recommendations. Second, authorities will strengthen epidemiological investigations, with Taichung City required to submit complete data to the national task force for rapid assessment and disposal of any suspected cases. Third, food waste handling will be strictly monitored to ensure safety during collection, transport, storage, and disposal, following all central environmental regulations. Fourth, the Agriculture Department and local governments have begun on-site inspections of 5,439 pig farms, with a second round to follow to prevent virus spread. Finally, Cho ordered customs to reinforce border inspections, requiring all officers on duty during peak travel times and enforcing 100% X-ray and baggage screening. Premier Cho emphasized that containment operations will be reviewed every five days and adjusted as needed to control the outbreak swiftly and help pig farmers resume normal production.

2. Fisheries Agency Promotes AI Innovation to Boost Smart Fishing and Aquaculture

To explore the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in the fishing industry, Fisheries Agency Director-General Wang Mao-cheng attended the AI-Driven Smart Fisheries Forum on October 25 in Kaohsiung, organized by Legislator Hsu Chih-chieh’s office. The event brought together experts from industry, government, and academia to discuss practical and research-based applications of AI for advancing smart fisheries. Wang said the Fisheries Agency is collaborating with the National Science and Technology Council to apply AI in fish school detection, integrating satellite remote sensing data with catch and species information collected by the agency. Through big data analytics, this system can identify potential fishing hotspots with higher accuracy. He added that as the fishing workforce declines, AI adoption can reduce labor needs, improve operational efficiency, and enhance management precision. By promoting digital and intelligent systems, Taiwan aims to strengthen the sustainability and global competitiveness of its fisheries sector.