March 8, 2004

Japan Set To Change Law In Bird Flu Fight

Japan will revise its Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control Law as it battles to contain the bird flu outbreak spreading across the country.
 
The revision is likely to focus on setting up a compensation mechanism for neighboring farmers who have been forced to stop shipments of their livestock due to an outbreak at a nearby farm.
 
To ensure prompt reporting, it is also expected to stiffen penalties for failing to notify government authorities of a suspected outbreak.
 
Under the current law, only farmers who have had outbreaks and destroy their infected stock under government orders can be compensated, and there are no penalties for farmers for not reporting suspect disease outbreaks.