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A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau said today (September 4) it was necessary for the Government to maintain the import ceiling for Mainland live chickens at 20,000 per day.
The spokesman said the measure was meant to avoid an accumulation of live poultry in the retail and wholesale markets which might increase the risk of an avian influenza outbreak.
"In the face of the threat posed by avian influenza to Hong Kong and its neighbouring areas, we have to stay alert in preventing the disease. We believe the present approach is appropriate which can both protect public health and meet people's demands for live chickens.
"The Government will continue to monitor the supply of live chickens in Hong Kong and maintain close liaison with the trade. We will also suitably adjust the number of imported live chickens from the Mainland for major festive occasions to meet the stronger demand during those periods," the spokesman said.
To minimise the risk of an avian influenza outbreak in Hong Kong in the long-run, the spokesman said the Government was actively preparing for the setting up of a poultry slaughtering and processing plant, including the drafting of the relevant law and tender document, as well as conducting an environmental impact assessment study of the project.
"After the plant starts to operate, all local and imported live chickens will be slaughtered there to achieve the target of minimising the avian influenza risk by separating humans from chickens.
"Before that, we will not consider reviewing the current import limit for Mainland live chickens," the spokesman said.
He added that relevant government departments, including the Customs and Excise Department, the Police, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, would work closely with their Mainland counterparts to crack down on illegal import of poultry and birds.
The spokesman called on traders to report any smuggling activities and not to import poultry and birds that might incur the problem.
"Concerted efforts to safeguard Hong Kong from suffering attack of avian influenza can help maintain normal operation of the import of live chickens from the Mainland," the spokesman said.
Ends/Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Issued at HKT 15:25
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