Temporary ban

Samoa workers defy temporary ban to head overseas

Documents including flight itineraries have been obtained by the Samoa Observer showing there was travel to New Zealand.

The itinerary shows 18 seasonal employees left the country on Sunday, January 15 while the scheme was halted.

Samoa's Cabinet had put a temporary stop to the deployment of seasonal workers for this month, until Cabinet finalises a policy focusing on the selection of applicants.

Samoa temporarily bans importation of Australian avian meat and egg products

The ban includes meat products, by-products, egg products and animal reproductive materials as part of the Ministry’s efforts to stop the introduction into Samoa of avian influenza virus.

In a statement, the Ministry’s Chief Executive Officer, Tilafono David Hunter said, all import permits issued for the named products originating from Australia will be suspended until further notice.

The named products currently in transit from Australia will possibly be incinerated or reshipped back to Australia.