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A spokesman of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) today (October 27) reminded the public to take extra care if they want to keep poultry in their backyard.
Under the current legislation, keeping 20 or less poultry is exempted from the requirement of obtaining a livestock farm licence.
The spokesman said, ¡§In view of the current threat of avian influenza in the region, the public should consider to cease keeping the backyard poultry if they could not have enough bio-security measures in place. The public should send the poultry to our AFCD animal management centres or contact the animal management centres for disposal arrangement.
¡§Bio-security measures including bird net, disinfection equipment , segregation of poultry etc. should be installed if they want to continue keeping the poultry. The public are also reminded to wash their hands after contact with poultry.
¡§In addition, AFCD will commence a programme for the backyard poultry to take vaccination against H5 avian influenza.¡¨
The details of the vaccination programme will be announced in early November.
Ends/Thursday, October 27, 2005
Issued at HKT 19:36
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