An Israeli man who recently returned from Scotland has tried to enter the country with hundreds of lobsters without having a proper license, the Agriculture Ministry said Wednesday.
The ministry said the man tried to smuggle 330 baby Homarus gammarus species, known as the European lobster or common lobster, without complying with the import license rules - intended to prevent the spread of diseases and damage to domestic agriculture.
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Lobsters the man was trying to smuggle into the country
(Photo: The Agriculture Ministry)
Currently, Israel is free from most diseases that require reporting to the International Organization for Animal Health - an intergovernmental organization coordinating, supporting and promoting animal disease control - including the white spot syndrome virus, which affects all penaeid shrimp.
The Agriculture Ministry said that bringing hundreds of lobsters into the country without making sure they are free of diseases could endanger the population of wild lobsters in Israel, and harm the country's status as an exporter in this field.
In the wake of the incident, the veterinary services opened an investigation in cooperation with the ministry's Central Unit for Enforcement and Investigations, which revealed the species were brought in a suitcase and went through a security check at the Ben Gurion Airport without raising an alarm with security officials there.
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The container filled with hundreds of baby lobsters
(Photo: The Agriculture Ministry)
Dr. Nadav Davidovich, a veterinarian at the Ministry of Agriculture's veterinary services, said if the smuggling attempt had not been caught on time, it could have put the entire population of lobsters in Israel at major risk.
"It is important to emphasize that import of animals is subject to licensing and full compliance with its conditions. This is a necessary procedure, through which freedom from disease can be guaranteed, without fear of harm being done to the wildlife population in Israel and in breeding farms. "