October 4, 2007

EU imposes partial ban on Canadian poultry exports

The European Union has banned imports of live poultry, poultry meat and other meat products from part of Canada's Saskatchewan province due to bird flu, the European Commission said Wednesday (October 3).

Canadian veterinary officials found the H7N3 strain of bird flu on a Saskatchewan chicken farm, last month.

Given the measures taken in response to the outbreak, and respecting the EU-Canada Veterinary Agreement, the Commission proposed limiting the ban to parts of the affected province, it said in a statement.

The ban will remain until Nov. 30.

Canadian authorities immediately suspended the export of live poultry, poultry products and other products that were liable to carry the virus from the whole of Canada, it added.

Exports account for 7.5 percent of Canada's poultry industry.