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In the light of the spread and severity of the avian influenza outbreaks in the region, the Government does not envisage that the importation of live poultry, including day-old chickens, from places affected by avian influenza can resume in the near future, the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, told the Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene of the Legislative Council today (February 25).
Dr Yeoh stressed that ensuring public health and maintaining the safety level of food consumed by the public was the first priority of the Government.
"Hong Kong's preventive measures prove to be effective in achieving zero H5N1 infection in Hong Kong so far. However, the outbreak situation in the region strongly suggests that the problem will be recurrent for the next few years.
"To protect public health in Hong Kong, we should try our utmost to reduce the risk of avian influenza occurring in Hong Kong and to achieve zero infection for our farms and the public as far as possible," Dr Yeoh said.
Dr Yeoh sought the views of Legislative Council members on the proposed interim measures to be taken during the period in which there is no supply of imported poultry from the Mainland and invited suggestions on issues relating to further public consultation on prevention of avian influenza.
These measures included resumption of importation of chilled and frozen poultry in the first place when the outbreak situation in the region eased off; importation of fertile eggs for hatching at local farms; and separation of humans and live poultry.
The Administration had recently sought the views of academics and experts and gained their support on the broad principles with regard to the risk management of avian influenza, including the resumption of chilled and frozen poultry meat from approved Mainland farms and the importation of fertile eggs and development of local hatcheries to tie over the period in which there is no importation of day-old chickens.
"Since chilled and frozen poultry impose relatively lesser risk to human health, priority consideration will be given to resumption of, in the first place, import of chilled and frozen poultry, as the outbreak situation in the region starts to ease off," he said.
The Government would assess the risks and draw reference from the recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Organisation for Animal Health in considering lifting the restriction on the importation of chilled and frozen poultry from the affected places.
The Government would report back to the Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene at its next meeting in March on the criteria and circumstances under which the importation of chilled and frozen poultry meat from the Mainland and from other infected countries may resume.
To address the need to replenish local stock of day-old chickens, Dr Yeoh said: "As the import of day-old chickens will not be resumed in the near future, we intend to encourage local farmers to produce day-old chickens locally by importing fertile eggs for hatching in local farms.
"To ensure that avian influenza viruses will not be introduced into Hong Kong by fertile eggs, we will put in place a system to control and monitor local hatching operations.
"Eggs will be required to be sanitised in the place of origin before entering Hong Kong. Sanitation of eggs must comply with the requirements set up by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD)."
Under this scheme, AFCD would only allow licensed chicken farms to source day-old chickens from "approved" hatcheries. "Approved" hatcheries would cover the incubators which would be located in licensed poultry farms and subject to the new conditions to be imposed by AFCD under the livestock keeping licences.
The department would provide financial aid to farmers who intend to invest in and develop their hatching operation.
"AFCD will actively discuss with the poultry farmers and with other Government departments on the feasibility of establishing local hatcheries. We will report back to the Panel on the detailed proposals for establishing hatcheries in Hong Kong after consultation with the trade," Dr Yeoh said.
The Government would conduct a review of the regulatory framework for the licensing of local poultry farms with a view to ensuring the highest standards of farm biosecurity possible to prevent the incursion of the virus into the farms.
These might include the requirements to exercise "all-in-all-out" on a chicken shed basis, the provision of fully enclosed chicken sheds with 24-hour temperature, humidity and ventilation control and orientation of sheds to minimise aerosol spread.
"We fully acknowledge the revamped farm regulatory framework may require additional investment but this will be necessary for the protection of public health and we will consult the trade in due course.
"The Government is fully aware of the need to provide a package of relief measures and financial assistance such as low interest loans to the poultry farms, wholesalers, retailers and transporters in order to help them to tie over a difficult period.
"We will waive 50 per cent of the rental charges of all live poultry stalls carrying on business in the wholesale poultry markets under the management of AFCD and the wet markets under the management of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) respectively for a period of three months starting from the date to be announced by the Government (concessionary period)," he added.
For those live poultry wholesalers and retailers who have ceased to operate their business for 30 consecutive days or more during the concessionary period, they will be granted the relevant amount of the remaining 50 per cent waiver in rental charges, upon approval of application by AFCD/FEHD.
Parking fees for lorries parked at designated spaces on a monthly basis for the transportation of live poultry in AFCD's wholesale poultry markets will also be waived during the concessionary period.
Licensees of fresh provision shops (FPS) selling live poultry in private premises during the concessionary period will be provided a $5,000 ex-gratia payment. For those FPS licensees selling live poultry in private premises who have ceased to operate their business during the concessionary period, they will be granted an additional ex-gratia payment of $5,000 upon application and approval/verification by FEHD.
"We cannot ignore the potential public health hazard that could be caused by avian influenza viruses. In Hong Kong, apart from members of the trade who are in frequent contact with live poultry, consumers can also come into close contact with live poultry easily because it is sold in the retail outlets. The crowded living environment in Hong Kong further amplifies the risk.
"Hence, the most effective way to minimise the health risk posed by avian influenza is to reduce as much as possible the contact between the public and live poultry. The community needs to consider if live poultry should continue to be sold in retail outlets," Dr Yeoh said.
The Government will consult the public later on the policy objective of separating humans and live poultry and this may include central or regional slaughtering as a means to achieve the policy objective.
Ends/Wednesday, February 25, 2004
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