June 25, 2008

 

Hong Kong to practice daily culling on fight against bird flu

The Hong Kong government announced Tuesday (June 24, 2008) that it would impose daily culling in poultry markets to avoid bird flu outbreak.

 

Secretary for Food and Health York Chow said that unsold live chickens will banned from overnight stays at retail markets when chicken sales resume on July 2.

 

However, the government is still giving retailers, farmers, wholesalers and transport operators a time to consider the previously proposed compensation package to buy out their licenses.

 

Chow added that the Executive Council has taken into account the trade's views and the risks of bird flu.

 

Earlier this month, samples of live chicken excrement from four wet markets were tested positive bird flu virus.

 

Health authorities then adopted the measure of slaughtering all live chickens in the retail markets.

 

Furthermore, the government suspended the import of live chickens from China in 21 days from June 11.

 

To stamp out bird flu virus, the government has previously come up with suggestions for live poultry industry practitioners to either perform the daily cull practice by slaughtering all unsold live chickens every day or closing down the livestock retail business for good.

 

The Food Business Regulation, as announced on Tuesday, will ban live chickens from markets and fresh food shops between 08:00 p.m. and 05:00 a.m. Hong Kong time.

 

All unsold live chickens at stalls will have to be culled before 08:00 p.m. local time each day.

 

The city's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department officers will conduct daily inspections from July 2 through early August to ensure the live poultry trade abides by the law.

 

Violators will be liable to pay HKD50,000 (US$6,427) fine and six months in jail. Their license or tenancy can also be canceled.

 

Chow said retailers have an extra month until July 24, to consider whether to accept or not.