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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ban on import of all birds, causing ?concern?: report; ?Poultry products not pulled from market? [/FONT]
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</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]KUWAIT CITY: Minister of Commerce and Industry Falah Al-Hajeri?s directive banning the import of all kinds of fresh and frozen birds and eggs has raised concern among consumers about the safety of poultry products available in the cooperatives, reports Al-Qabas daily. The minister?s directive followed the recommendation of Food Safety Committee, which asked for banning imports of all birds and their products. Speaking on the issue, Deputy Director of Al-Nuzha Cooperative Society Farha Sudoun said cooperatives were instructed to sell poultry items that were imported before the ministerial decision was issued. She said the minister?s directive did not ask for removing poultry products that are already available in the market.
However, consumers say the decision itself raises doubts about the quality of poultry items present in the country. Imports from Saudi Arabia have been stopped due to an outbreak of bird flu there. ?Logically, the ministry should have ordered the withdrawal of Saudi chicken available in the market as a precautionary measure,? they added.:tiphat: http://www.arabtimesonline.com/arabtimes/kuwait/Viewdet.asp?ID=10261&cat=a
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=NewsDetailsTitle> Bird flu in Kuwait: reality and action </TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD class=NewsDetailsCategory> 4/28/2007 3:04:00 PM</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=ArticleDetails><TABLE class=ImageFloat cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD class=pictureCaption id=tdCaption align=middle width=180></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Bird flu in Kuwait: reality and action Report by Falah Al-Fadhli (with photos) KUWAIT, April 28 (KUNA) -- Transporting birds from one place to another poses an added challenge in the fight to control the outbreak of the bird flu virus.
The culling of some 1.7 million birds in Wafra, which was declared an infected zone, drove many farm owners to transport their birds to Kabd, an area where three turkeys later died of the virus.
Since the discovery of the killer virus in Kuwait about two months ago, the joint committee for countering the disease has worked round the clock to make sure all precautionary procedures are implemented.
For their part, MPs held a special parliamentary session to discuss measures that had to be taken, stressing the need to prevent the sale of birds in residential areas to protect civilians and avoid further spreading of the virus.
In a country like Kuwait, where raising of doves and pigeons is a common hobby, the dangers facing civilians are grave, and hobbyists wonder why their birds have to be culled just because their farms happen to be located in an infected zone.
They told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that had the committee issued a decision prohibiting the raising of birds in private farms upon the discovery of the virus, damages and subsequent compensations would not have amounted to this great volume.
Spokesman for the joint committee Dr. Ahmad Al-Shatti had said a decision could be issued prohibiting home farms, but resulting compensations could delay it. Similar steps were taken in Singapore and Hong Kong after the virus was discovered there.
Such a decision has become much needed in Kuwait now, as the protection of human life is much more important than owning pet birds.
The committee had so far declared 48 locations as infected, most of which are private bird farms. (end) fyf.aa.ema KUNA 281504 Apr 07NNNN:tiphat: http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=1728766&Language=en</TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD height=0></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[/FONT]
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>However, consumers say the decision itself raises doubts about the quality of poultry items present in the country. Imports from Saudi Arabia have been stopped due to an outbreak of bird flu there. ?Logically, the ministry should have ordered the withdrawal of Saudi chicken available in the market as a precautionary measure,? they added.:tiphat: http://www.arabtimesonline.com/arabtimes/kuwait/Viewdet.asp?ID=10261&cat=a
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=NewsDetailsTitle> Bird flu in Kuwait: reality and action </TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD class=NewsDetailsCategory> 4/28/2007 3:04:00 PM</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=ArticleDetails><TABLE class=ImageFloat cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD class=pictureCaption id=tdCaption align=middle width=180></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Bird flu in Kuwait: reality and action Report by Falah Al-Fadhli (with photos) KUWAIT, April 28 (KUNA) -- Transporting birds from one place to another poses an added challenge in the fight to control the outbreak of the bird flu virus.
The culling of some 1.7 million birds in Wafra, which was declared an infected zone, drove many farm owners to transport their birds to Kabd, an area where three turkeys later died of the virus.
Since the discovery of the killer virus in Kuwait about two months ago, the joint committee for countering the disease has worked round the clock to make sure all precautionary procedures are implemented.
For their part, MPs held a special parliamentary session to discuss measures that had to be taken, stressing the need to prevent the sale of birds in residential areas to protect civilians and avoid further spreading of the virus.
In a country like Kuwait, where raising of doves and pigeons is a common hobby, the dangers facing civilians are grave, and hobbyists wonder why their birds have to be culled just because their farms happen to be located in an infected zone.
They told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that had the committee issued a decision prohibiting the raising of birds in private farms upon the discovery of the virus, damages and subsequent compensations would not have amounted to this great volume.
Spokesman for the joint committee Dr. Ahmad Al-Shatti had said a decision could be issued prohibiting home farms, but resulting compensations could delay it. Similar steps were taken in Singapore and Hong Kong after the virus was discovered there.
Such a decision has become much needed in Kuwait now, as the protection of human life is much more important than owning pet birds.
The committee had so far declared 48 locations as infected, most of which are private bird farms. (end) fyf.aa.ema KUNA 281504 Apr 07NNNN:tiphat: http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=1728766&Language=en</TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD height=0></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[/FONT]