Finnish Customs has decided to tighten food inspections at Helsinki ports from Tuesday (12 August) to 30 September following spreading of African swine fever (ASF) in the Baltic countries, said Customs in a press release on Monday.
The controls will focus particularly on passengers arriving from Estonia.
ASF is a highly contagious and serious disease in pigs, causing significant suffering and potentially leading to death.
ASF has not yet been detected in Finland, but an outbreak would have severe economic consequences for domestic pig farming and food exports.
ASF has been present in Estonia and other Baltic countries among both domestic pigs and wild boars since 2014.
During the summer of 2025, numerous cases have been reported in areas near Finland, including Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland.
In Estonia, the disease has been confirmed on five different pig farms, four of which are very large. To prevent further spread, over 17,000 pigs have been culled in Estonia.
The authority also urged people to not bring meat, sausages, or other animal products from abroad.
Finnish Customs imposed import ban and restriction on food brought by travellers to prevent the spread of harmful animal, plant diseases and pests.
Earlier on July 31, Finnish Food Authority warned that African swine fever (ASF) was spreading at an alarming rate in areas near Finland, particularly in Estonia.
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
