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Flu scare brings bird selling business to halt
DUBAI ? Repeated bird flu scare has badly affected bird sellers in the emirate with their businesses coming to almost a grinding halt.
Most of the bird sellers have now decided to shut their shops and switch to different businesses/jobs altogether. While some have been forced to close down shops, many others have moved into the fishery business.
Now, with the avian influenza being detected in Saudi Arabia very recently, resulting in the UAE banning all poultry products from the Kingdom, the conditions have become even more grim for bird sellers in Dubai.
Earlier, the average daily income of a bird seller in Dubai used to range between Dh5,000 and Dh12,000. Now, there are days when the sellers are not able to get even a single customer.
Dubai currently has nearly 20 shops selling birds, while Sharjah has more than 200.
Talking to Khaleej Times, Akhtar Khan, an employee of the World Bird Trading in Dubai said, ?The conditions have now become really bad for us. We are now earning no more than Dh500 a day, and that too on the lucky few days. We have been forced to sell rabbits and aquariums for survival.?
Salamat, in-charge of a birds shop in Sharjah lamented, ?Though there are still some stocks left with us, there is simply no sale. No one seems to be interested in buying birds. Earlier, people used to throng our shops looking for different species of macaws, cockatoos, parrots etc. The most popular species used to be birds from Pakistan. But the conditions have changed drastically, much to our woe.?
Meanwhile, the Dubai Municipality has asked all bird sellers to be on the alert for any flu symptoms in birds. Civic body inspectors are carrying out regular checks at the bird shops.
Both the Dubai and Sharjah municipalities have already banned the sale and import of live poultry.
DUBAI ? Repeated bird flu scare has badly affected bird sellers in the emirate with their businesses coming to almost a grinding halt.
Most of the bird sellers have now decided to shut their shops and switch to different businesses/jobs altogether. While some have been forced to close down shops, many others have moved into the fishery business.
Now, with the avian influenza being detected in Saudi Arabia very recently, resulting in the UAE banning all poultry products from the Kingdom, the conditions have become even more grim for bird sellers in Dubai.
Earlier, the average daily income of a bird seller in Dubai used to range between Dh5,000 and Dh12,000. Now, there are days when the sellers are not able to get even a single customer.
Dubai currently has nearly 20 shops selling birds, while Sharjah has more than 200.
Talking to Khaleej Times, Akhtar Khan, an employee of the World Bird Trading in Dubai said, ?The conditions have now become really bad for us. We are now earning no more than Dh500 a day, and that too on the lucky few days. We have been forced to sell rabbits and aquariums for survival.?
Salamat, in-charge of a birds shop in Sharjah lamented, ?Though there are still some stocks left with us, there is simply no sale. No one seems to be interested in buying birds. Earlier, people used to throng our shops looking for different species of macaws, cockatoos, parrots etc. The most popular species used to be birds from Pakistan. But the conditions have changed drastically, much to our woe.?
Meanwhile, the Dubai Municipality has asked all bird sellers to be on the alert for any flu symptoms in birds. Civic body inspectors are carrying out regular checks at the bird shops.
Both the Dubai and Sharjah municipalities have already banned the sale and import of live poultry.
