June 23, 2004

Philippines Rejects Calls From Taiwan, China To Lift Poultry Ban

The Philippines said Tuesday it has rejected calls from Taiwan and China to lift its import ban on poultry and poultry products that dates back to earlier this year when a bird flu virus swept across Asia.
 
Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo said in a statement Tuesday that the department will continue to impose the ban to allay fears expressed by local poultry farmers that the virus has not been totally contained in affected countries, and remains a serious threat to the local poultry industry.
 
Taiwan does not export chickens or poultry products to the Philippines, but has been a source of exotic birds like cuckoos and parrots, which are used as pets. Bird imports for pets were also banned under the Philippines' poultry ban.
 
Prior to the outbreak of the bird flu virus, China was a major source of the Philippine's chicken imports.
 
The Philippines has remained free of the bird flu virus that ravaged poultry populations of many Asian countries.
 
Lorenzo said the Taiwanese representative to Manila, Hsin-Hsing Wu, has submitted documents indicating Taiwan has "completely eradicated" the low pathogenic virus that hit Taiwan early this year.
 
He said China has also asked for the ban to be lifted.
 
However, Lorenzo said the Bureau of Animal Industry needs to conduct onsite evaluations and risk assessment studies before the department can consider lifting the ban.
 
He added the country will do all it can to prevent the entry of the disease, including imposition of tighter port security and biosecurity measures in poultry farms.