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The Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, and the Vice Minister of the State General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), Mr Wei Chuanzhong, signed a collaboration agreement today (September 12) in Beijing on the inspection and quarantine of Hong Kong race horses to be transported between Hong Kong and Guangzhou Hong Kong Jockey Club Equine Sport Training Centre (GZ Centre).
The Department of Supervision on Animal and Plant Quarantine of AQSIQ and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) will be responsible for the implementation of the collaboration agreement.
Under the agreement, both sides agree to set up an expert group and a joint conference to work out the requirements, monitoring approach and procedures for the inspection and quarantine of race horses from Hong Kong which will be transported between Hong Kong and Guangzhou.
The GZ Centre in Conghua, Guangdong, is located at the venue for the Guangzhou Asian Games equestrian events. As Hong Kong's horse racing industry develops, there is a need to expand the training grounds for race horses. The venue will be used by the Hong Kong Jockey Club for training Hong Kong race horses.
On the approval regime, both sides will adopt a multi-entry permit system. The Mainland authority and the AFCD will issue permits separately. Within the valid period of the permits, horses will be allowed multiple entries into Hong Kong and Guangzhou. The horses and transportation vehicles involved will be managed by registration.
Regarding equine disease surveillance, both sides will keep track of the health conditions of horses in Hong Kong and at the GZ Centre. Guangdong Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau and AFCD will review the surveillance results annually and jointly work out the surveillance plan for the coming year.
Both sides will collaborate in setting up an information system about equine inspection and quarantine to facilitate information exchange on horse registration, entry and exit records, disease control and health certification, etc. A liaison mechanism will also be established to notify each other of the occurrence of equine disease and quarantine records of horses transported to other countries.
Ends/Thursday, September 12, 2013
Issued at HKT 19:05
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