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The Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, today (March 15) further explained to live poultry traders that the Government had to reduce the number of imported chickens and the live poultry population in Hong Kong as well as to develop a poultry slaughtering plant in view of the mounting risk of an avian influenza outbreak.
He said the measures were introduced to protect public health and guard against the disease from affecting Hong Kong. In the event of an avian influenza outbreak, it would not only jeopardise public health but also deal a severe blow to the whole economy.
Dr Chow met legislators Messrs Vincent Fang, Wong Yung-kan and Tommy Cheung, together with some 20 representatives of live poultry farmers, wholesalers, retailers and transporters to listen to their views on the three-week suspension of live poultry import following a confirmed human case of H5N1 avian influenza infection in Guangzhou.
Dr Chow said the Government would field staff to meet with Guangdong officials next week. The Government would then decide on the resumption of live poultry and birds supply upon confirmation that the public health situation was normal.
He said the arrangement of capping the ceiling of live chicken imports at 20,000 chickens per day would be reviewed in mid-April. As for the arrangement for live chicken imports during festive periods, the Government would continue to handle it with flexibility, having regard to the actual situation.
To reduce the risk of an epidemic outbreak through close contact between humans and live poultry and ensure that culling operations could be completed within the shortest possible time in the case of an outbreak, the Government had to reduce the total chicken population in local farms to 2 million by May this year, Dr Chow added.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department would continue to liaise with local chicken farms to discuss the details of the arrangement.
"We understand the whole world still comes under the threat of avian influenza," Dr Chow said. "The Mainland, Asia and other parts of the world are reporting more and more cases of outbreak of avian influenza among poultry. The local poultry trade is also being affected.
"The Government has already granted over $270 million compensation and ex-gratia payment to the trade between 1997 and 2004. To further assist the trade, we have since July 2004 made available nearly $600 million by phases to help traders who opt for voluntary exit of the trade and cease operation permanently. This covers live poultry farmers, wholesalers, retailers and transporters.
"The Government understands the development of a poultry slaughtering plant might bring about some impacts on the live poultry trade. We would try to balance different considerations, including public health and the livelihood of the trade," he said.
Ends/Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:26
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