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The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) is studying a proposal to import fertile eggs during the period that there will be no import of day-old chicks.
AFCD's Senior Veterinary Officer (Farm) Dr Howard Wong said the proposal of importing fertile eggs and developing local hatcheries were among the items discussed by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food with local experts at a meeting last Saturday. The experts agreed that the proposal was sound in principle.
However, traders had some doubts. "We note with concern the views of traders on the proposed import of fertile eggs and will take into account their views and local circumstances when implementing the program," Dr Wong said.
"Public health would continue to be safeguarded under the proposal. A protocol would be devised to ensure that the fertile eggs came from flocks free from avian influenza. The eggs would have to be accompanied by a valid health certificate issued by the government of the exporting place, giving the vaccination history and test results on the parent flock and the sanitation measures undertaken before export," he said.
The fertile eggs would have to be sanitised again on arrival in Hong Kong. Owing to space constraints of some local farms, the hatcheries do not necessarily have to be located on farms.
A separate biosecurity protocol would be devised for hatcheries. The hatcheries would for example have to be bird-proofed and the hatchery workers should not have contact with other live poultry.
The hatcheries would also be required to keep a record of the supply of fertile eggs to trace the source of the eggs if necessary.
The AFCD has its own hatchery for research purposes and its staff will offer technical guidelines to traders.
"The Government's plan to import fertile eggs will be presented to the Legislative Council's Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene Panel tomorrow. The trade will be consulted as soon as possible.
"For the sake of protecting public health in Hong Kong, we will try our utmost to reduce the risk of avian influenza occurring in Hong Kong and to aim for a zero infection rate for our farms and the public," Dr Wong said.
Ends/Tuesday, February 24, 2004
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