Over 10 tonnes of illegal meat seized in just two weeks – a 324% surge compared to last September.

Dover Port Health Authority (DPHA) continues to seize unequivocal volumes of illegal meat, including over 10 tonnes in the last two weeks—a staggering 324% increase compared to the same period last year. This substantial and ongoing rise signals a growing crisis at this critical border.

That is why Dover District Council's (DDC) Port Health Authority is calling for immediate government action, following the release of two damming and powerful reports from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee. The Committee's relentless work to engage, understand, scrutinise and unpick the position, and provide recommendations to mitigate the threats we face at the border is commendable.

The reports expose the scale of the problems we are facing, and the need for urgent action by DEFRA to strengthen the UK’s biosecurity. The time to act is now.

In a recent statement (11th September 2025), Mr Carmichael the EFRA Chair, praised the work of the DPHA team saying "I place on the record the Committee’s gratitude to, and my personal admiration of, Lucy Manzano and her team at the Dover Port Health Authority, who have done a remarkable job and a significant public service in bringing this to the attention of the wider population."

When referring to illegal meat imports, Mr Carmichael described the current situation as "a crisis that has been brewing for years, if not decades. It is also a crisis that matters not just on the national level but on the individual and personal level" and that "We have identified the risks and some of the solutions. It is essential that DEFRA takes those risks seriously and acts to mitigate them with urgency. The stakes are too high for further inaction.

"Lucy Manzano, Head of Port Health and Public Protection, calls the reports “a vital wake-up call”, adding: “Our team is intercepting tonnes of illegal meat every week – over 10 tonnes in the first half of September alone – with minimal people on the ground." She continues: “The new SPS agreement presents a pivotal opportunity to rebuild a system that protects public, animal, and plant health, secures our borders, and stops this crisis in its tracks.”

DDC is calling for immediate government action.

Council calls for action following EFRA Committee reports on border biosecurity

Illegal meat seized at the Port of Dover by DPHA