ANIMAL TRADE
<strong>Thousands of species banned</strong>
An import ban on more than 8,000 species of live animals is to take effect on Wednesday next week, the Forestry Bureau said. Animals such as raccoons and the crested myna are to be banned from entering Taiwan without authorization from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the bureau said. The banned import list includes one mammal, birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates, totaling 8,478 species, it said, adding that they are being banned because they pose a threat to Taiwan’s endemic species or its agricultural produce. People caught importing any of the animals without authorization would face