H.K. to resume local live chicken sales despite bird flu scare

Asian Economic News, Feb 9, 2004

HONG KONG, Feb. 2 Kyodo

Hong Kong will resume sales of local live chickens at markets Friday, the government said Monday, just three days after a suspension of the poultry distribution was imposed amid concern over a possible spread of avian influenza to the territory.

The quick shift in the government's decision followed a Monday meeting between officials and poultry traders who complained their businesses had been hurt.

However, the government noted that a ban on imports of live birds and poultry meat from mainland China will remain in place.

Last Friday, the government halted poultry imports from China after Beijing reported more suspected bird flu outbreaks in the mainland.

The government also then stopped issuing permits for local farmers to sell their chickens to the wholesale market in view of the high number of unsold chickens.

Hong Kong's normally huge consumption of chickens has been dampened amid fears over the current rapid spread of bird flu in Asia.

But poultry farmers and traders argued that the local chicken population, which is healthy and free from the lethal strain of bird flu virus, should not be prohibited from being sold in the markets.

Eddy Chan, deputy secretary for health, welfare and food, told reporters Monday that authorities will oversee a smooth and orderly sale resumption of local live chickens so that the chickens will not be overcrowded in the wholesale and retail markets, which would increase the risk of a disease outbreak.

Quick tests on chickens will be conducted to make sure that the birds have no bird flu virus before they are being marketed, Chan said.

Poultry traders said about 200,000 chickens from local farms are ready to be put on the markets. The government estimated some 60,000 to 70,000 chickens remain unsold at retail stalls.

Meanwhile, the government also said Monday that it will halt the processing of applications for importation of pet birds pending the development of the epidemic in the region.

The government also said it will step up cleaning and inspection measures in the Bird Garden in the Mong Kok district, a sightseeing spot where pet bird stalls are located.