The Ministry of Environment (MOENV) stated that, in response to the current African swine fever outbreak, it issued the “Plan for Emergency Inspections by Local Environmental Protection Agencies of Food-Waste-Reuse Pig Farms During the African Swine Fever Outbreak” on Oct. 23, 2025, requesting local environmental protection agencies to inspect registered food-waste pig farms within their jurisdictions at least once per week. The first-week inspection period ran from Oct. 23 to 30, and all counties and cities achieved a 100% completion rate. The second-week inspection period is currently underway, spanning Oct.31 to Nov. 5.

To ensure that local environmental protection agencies implement the above inspection requirements, the ministry assigns dedicated staff to compile and publish daily statistics on the implementation status of each local environmental protection bureau. As of now, all local environmental protection agencies nationwide have conducted inspections in accordance with the prescribed frequency, and there have been no instances of delays.

Some counties and cities, such as Pingtung County, have proactively increased inspection frequency and have already advanced to a third round ahead of schedule. As this differed slightly from the centrally stipulated date for commencing the third round on Nov. 6, the schedule has since been synchronized with central guidelines. A few counties and cities still finalizing their tasks have committed to completing inspections as soon as possible.

Regarding statements made by Legislator Lo Chih-chiang on Facebook alleging that some counties and cities had poor inspection execution rates for pig farms, the MOENV explained that after completing inspections, local environmental protection agencies must enter the inspection results into the ministry’s Environmental Enforcement Management System (EEMS) for subsequent management. This requirement can result in a time lag between the inspection date and data entry, leading to discrepancies in statistical figures. The ministry has now communicated with all counties and cities to align inspection statistics methods, in order to prevent similar issues in the future and avoid unnecessary difficulties for local governments.