海外流出、罰金最大１０００万円　和牛受精卵保護―農水省

　農林水産省は５日、和牛の遺伝資源（受精卵や精液）を不正に転売したり、海外に持ち出したりする行為に対し、最大で１０００万円の罰金または１０年以下の懲役を科す方針を示した。海外で人気が高まる和牛の遺伝資源の流出を防ぐ狙い。
　法人の場合は最大３億円の罰金。今国会に提出予定の関連新法案に盛り込む。
　新法案では和牛の遺伝的特徴について、長年にわたる生産者の改良の成果であり、知的財産に相当すると位置付ける。その上で、詐欺による取得や横流しを差し止めたり、損害賠償を請求したりできるようにする。悪質な場合に罰金などを科す。（2020/02/05-17:15）

The Japanese agriculture ministry is considering imposing fines of up to 10 million yen or prison terms of up to 10 years on individuals who illegally sell or take abroad genetic materials of "wagyu" Japanese beef cattle, such as fertilized eggs and sperm, it was learned on Wednesday.
   Corporate violators will be fined up to 300 million yen, informed sources said.
   The penalties will be stipulated in a draft of a new law that is set to be proposed to the Diet, Japan's parliament, during its ongoing regular session.
   The move comes with wagyu cattle farmers calling for measures against wagyu gene smuggling, at a time when the popularity of wagyu is growing around the globe. In 2018, there was a case in which fertilized eggs and sperm of wagyu were about to be transferred without permission to China.
   The new law will recognize wagyu's genetic features as intellectual property acquired through farmers' longstanding breeding efforts.