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Following is a question by the Hon Vincent Fang and a reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, in the Legislative Council today (June 24)
Question:
After samples of live chickens imported from the Mainland had been tested positive for avian influenza H7 virus, the authorities suspended at the end of last year the supply of live chickens from the Mainland, which was resumed in February this year. Some members of the trade have relayed to me that although no avian influenza virus has been discovered again at the mainland farms supplying poultry to Hong Kong, the daily number of live chickens imported from the Mainland has increased from about 1 000 in February this year only to about 4 000 at present, which is far less than the previous normal level of about 7 000 chickens each day. Furthermore, the supply of mature chickens to Hong Kong from the Guangdong Province, which was previously a major supplier of live chickens to Hong Kong, has not resumed, while the quantity of day-old chickens imported from the Mainland has restored to the previous level. This reflects that there is a communication problem between the Hong Kong authorities and the Guangdong authorities in this regard. As a result, live poultry importers, wholesalers and transporters have been "on saline drip", with their livelihood affected. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the respective average daily quantities of live chickens and day-old chickens imported from the Mainland since February this year, as well as the respective places of origin and market shares for such live chickens and day-old chickens; whether the Hong Kong authorities have approached the Guangdong authorities to gain an understanding of the reasons why the current quantity of imported live chickens still has not restored to the previous level and the expected time for the restoration;
(2) as the authorities have indicated that they will study the future of the live poultry trade and whether the sale of live poultry should continue, of the progress of the study; whether they have examined ways for relieving the business difficulties faced by live poultry wholesalers and retailers; given that the authorities are progressively phasing out pre-Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles, whether the authorities will consider giving live poultry transporters a longer grace period so as to alleviate their plight; and
(3) whether the authorities have assessed the prospect for restoring the quantity of live chickens imported from the Mainland to the previous normal level; if the prospect is dim, whether they will consider re-launching the scheme for surrender of business licences for live poultry trade; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
On December 30, 2014, the Government detected H7 avian influenza (AI) virus in a number of samples from a consignment of live chickens imported from a registered farm in Guangdong. In accordance with the established risk management mechanism, the Government culled the live poultry concerned and closed the Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market (Wholesale Poultry Market) for 21 days. During the closure period, trading of live poultry was suspended. The Wholesale Poultry Market resumed live poultry trading on January 22, 2015.
The Food and Health Bureau (FHB), the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) and the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department have all along been maintaining close liaison with the State General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), and the Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureaux of Guangdong, Zhuhai, Shenzhen and Hainan on issues relating to live chicken supply from the Mainland.
According to the monthly national surveillance results of animals for H7N9 AI released on the Internet by the Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, H7N9 AI virus has been detected in poultry farms and live poultry markets in different Mainland provinces and municipalities (including Guangdong Province) since 2013. As regards confirmed human cases of AI A (H7N9), there have been a total of 653 cases since 2013 reported by the Mainland health authorities, while 213 cases, including 72 in Guangdong, have been reported since November 2014 (the third wave in the Mainland). Meanwhile, the threat of H5 AI persists. In various states of the United States, successive cases of large-scale H5N2 AI outbreak among birds were recorded this year. In the Mainland, a number of cases of live poultry and human infection with H5N6 AI virus were recorded in the past year as well. In Hong Kong, H5N6 AI virus was detected for the first time in two wild bird carcasses in April this year. The situation show that subtype and antigenic changes in AI remain a frequent phenomenon.
We are given to understand that the relevant Mainland authorities have, in the light of the prevailing state of AI threat in the Mainland and nearby areas as well as the associated risks, chosen to adopt, on grounds of prudence, more stringent measures for managing registered farms supplying live poultry to Hong Kong and Macau. Their concern is legitimate that the relevant Mainland inspection and quarantine authorities have deemed fit to adopt more stringent measures is in our view an appropriate response under the present circumstances. We are fully appreciative of the efforts they put on safeguarding public health in Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, we have kept the local live poultry trade abreast of latest developments related to the supply of Mainland live poultry and day-old chicks to Hong Kong.
My reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:
(1) Since the resumption of live poultry trading at the Wholesale Poultry Market on January 22 this year, more than 22 000 live chickens had been imported from the Mainland (as at June 22). These chickens mainly came from Hainan, accounting for 1.23 per cent of the total supply of live chickens on the market. During the same period, the number of minor poultry (including pigeon, common pheasant and chukar) imported into Hong Kong from the Mainland was about 180 000, accounting for 100 per cent of the total supply in the local market. As mentioned above, in the light of the current state of AI threat, the relevant Mainland authorities have adopted more stringent measures for managing registered farms which supply live poultry to Hong Kong and Macau. We have expressed our appreciation of and support for their efforts in this regard. Through meetings, written correspondence and telephone exchanges, we have maintained close dialogue with the relevant Mainland authorities. The two sides agree that, in moving forward towards gradual resumption of live poultry supply, we should uphold the science-based approach, having regard to risk assessments and the need to safeguard public health.
Since January 25 this year, the Mainland has gradually resumed the supply of day-old chicks to Hong Kong. As at June 22, a total of 420 000 day-old chicks, mainly from Zhuhai and Guangdong, had been imported, accounting for 22.98 per cent of the total supply of day-old chicks to local chicken farms. Supply of day-old-chicks in early 2015 had registered a drop relative to that in the fourth quarter of 2014. Following our communication with the relevant entry-exit inspection and quarantine bureaux, the level of import has returned to normal, thereby stabilising the supply of live chickens from local chicken farms.
(2) Contact with infected live poultry is the main risk factor insofar as human infection by AI is concerned. Over the past decade or so, the Government and the local live poultry industry, together with the Mainland inspection and quarantine authorities and the farms supplying live poultry to Hong Kong, have collaboratively built up a stringent system for the surveillance and control of AI so as to reduce the AI risks in Hong Kong. However, no surveillance system can attain zero risk. For public health considerations, the Government has commissioned a consultant in mid-June to study the future of the live poultry trade in Hong Kong and make recommendations. We hope to complete the study within this year and thereafter consult the public on the consultant's recommendations.
When the Government rolled out the buyout scheme for the live poultry trade in 2008, we had made it clear to the Legislative Council and the trade that those operators who chose to stay in the live poultry trade had to bear the risks of further AI incidents. We understand that the drop in the supply of Mainland live poultry in the past few months may have affected the business of some local live poultry operators. The Government has carefully examined the current situation. We do not see sufficient justifications to offer ex-gratia payment or rental waiver.
To improve roadside air quality and better protect public health, the Government has adopted an incentive-cum-regulatory approach starting from March 2014 to phase out some 82 000 pre-Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles (DCVs), including goods vehicles, light buses and non-franchised buses by the end of 2019. These DCVs are phased out by different statutory deadlines according to their first registration dates. Eligible vehicle owners may apply for an ex-gratia payment. The Government does not intend to give live poultry transporters an additional grace period.
(3) FHB, AFCD and CFS will continue to liaise closely with the Mainland authorities for gradual resumption of live chicken supply based on risk assessment and the need to safeguard public health. As regards the future of the live poultry trade, we will take into consideration the recommendations put forward by the consultant mentioned above as well as fully engage stakeholders to seek their views before implementation.
Thank you, President.
Ends/Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Issued at HKT 16:14
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