Sally Furniss
Well-known member
Smuggled poultry from China poses
grave threat to our bird flu-free status
By Ira Karen Apanay, Senior Reporter
<o
> </o>
POULTRY smuggled from China undermines the country?s bird flu-free status, the United Broiler?s Raisers Association (UBRA) warns.<o> </o>
The Philippines, Brunei and Singapore are the only Southeast Asian countries that remain free of the disease since it was first detected in Asia five years ago.
<o> </o>
The poultry products are ?considered smuggled because the government is not issuing import permits, but China poultry products are everywhere,? says UBRA?s Chairman and President Gregorio San Diego, adding there is a standing ban on poultry products from countries affected by bird flu, including China.
<o> </o>
The P60-billion poultry industry has expressed fears on the possible entry of the deadly bird flu virus that can infect local poultry and fowl and human health as well.
<o> </o>
People can still order Peking ducks in Chinese restaurants while century eggs tagged ?Made in China? are available in supermarkets, San Diego said. They ?are all from China,? he claims.
<o> </o>
China has been hit hard, reporting two humans died from bird flu infection this month?for the first time after a year with no human deaths.
<o> </o>
The Department of Agriculture (DA) ban covers all ?domestic and wild birds and their products, including poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen.?
<o> </o>
The ban, according to the Bureau of Animal Industry, covers Germany, Idaho (United States), Haiti, United Kingdom, Denmark, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Benin, Togo, Bangladesh, Cote d?Ivoire, Afghanistan, Georgia, Hungary, Iran, Israel, Niger, Slovakia, Sweden, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Azerbaijan, India, Egypt, Nigeria, Iraq, Ukraine, Croatia, Romania, Turkey, Myanmar, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, North Korea, Cambodia, Laos, Pakistan, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong.
<o> </o>
Bird flu has been reported in these countries, according to the World Animal Health Organization (OIE, or Office International des Epizooties).<o> </o>
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap directed quarantine officers and inspectors in all major airports and seaports to stop and confiscate all shipments into the Philippines of live birds, poultry and poultry products from these countries.
<o> </o>
He ordered the immediate suspension of the processing, evaluation of application and issuance of Veterinary Quarantine Clearances to all imports covering products from these areas.
<o> </o>
Last year, the DA lifted a similar ban on the US states of Nebraska and Arkansas, Italy, Canada, Czech Republic and Denmark after the OIE confirmed they had become bird flu-free.
<o> </o>
San Diego explained that the government issued a ban on all entry of poultry products coming from China, since it is one of the countries in Asia that has the deadly H5N1 that causes bird flu strain and has killed several humans infected by the virus.
<o> </o>
He said the poultry industry last year asked President Gloria Arroyo?s intervention for the Bureau of Customs to watch for the entry of smuggled poultry products from China.
<o> </o>
?There were several container vans apprehended with smuggled dressed chickens,? he said, adding the effort did not last that long.<o> </o>
Antonio A. Villar Jr., head of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group, warned last year of a possible bird flu outbreak after thousands of frozen Peking ducks were seized from a Navotas warehouse.<o> </o>
He said the products did not pass through strict inspection by veterinary authorities and threaten public health.
<o> </o>
San Diego also bewailed the increasing volume of imported dressed chicken each year despite industry appeals for restraint to protect local producers.
<o> </o>
Dressed chicken imports steadily increased from 27.96 million kilos in 2005 to 32.68 million kilos in 2006, 45.07 million kilos in 2007 and 40.55 million kilos as of November 2008.
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/jan/25/yehey/top_stories/20090125top3.html
grave threat to our bird flu-free status
By Ira Karen Apanay, Senior Reporter
<o
> </o> POULTRY smuggled from China undermines the country?s bird flu-free status, the United Broiler?s Raisers Association (UBRA) warns.<o
> </o> The Philippines, Brunei and Singapore are the only Southeast Asian countries that remain free of the disease since it was first detected in Asia five years ago.
<o
> </o> The poultry products are ?considered smuggled because the government is not issuing import permits, but China poultry products are everywhere,? says UBRA?s Chairman and President Gregorio San Diego, adding there is a standing ban on poultry products from countries affected by bird flu, including China.
<o
> </o> The P60-billion poultry industry has expressed fears on the possible entry of the deadly bird flu virus that can infect local poultry and fowl and human health as well.
<o
> </o> People can still order Peking ducks in Chinese restaurants while century eggs tagged ?Made in China? are available in supermarkets, San Diego said. They ?are all from China,? he claims.
<o
> </o> China has been hit hard, reporting two humans died from bird flu infection this month?for the first time after a year with no human deaths.
<o
> </o> The Department of Agriculture (DA) ban covers all ?domestic and wild birds and their products, including poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen.?
<o
> </o> The ban, according to the Bureau of Animal Industry, covers Germany, Idaho (United States), Haiti, United Kingdom, Denmark, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Benin, Togo, Bangladesh, Cote d?Ivoire, Afghanistan, Georgia, Hungary, Iran, Israel, Niger, Slovakia, Sweden, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Azerbaijan, India, Egypt, Nigeria, Iraq, Ukraine, Croatia, Romania, Turkey, Myanmar, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, North Korea, Cambodia, Laos, Pakistan, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong.
<o
> </o> Bird flu has been reported in these countries, according to the World Animal Health Organization (OIE, or Office International des Epizooties).<o
> </o> Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap directed quarantine officers and inspectors in all major airports and seaports to stop and confiscate all shipments into the Philippines of live birds, poultry and poultry products from these countries.
<o
> </o> He ordered the immediate suspension of the processing, evaluation of application and issuance of Veterinary Quarantine Clearances to all imports covering products from these areas.
<o
> </o> Last year, the DA lifted a similar ban on the US states of Nebraska and Arkansas, Italy, Canada, Czech Republic and Denmark after the OIE confirmed they had become bird flu-free.
<o
> </o> San Diego explained that the government issued a ban on all entry of poultry products coming from China, since it is one of the countries in Asia that has the deadly H5N1 that causes bird flu strain and has killed several humans infected by the virus.
<o
> </o> He said the poultry industry last year asked President Gloria Arroyo?s intervention for the Bureau of Customs to watch for the entry of smuggled poultry products from China.
<o
> </o> ?There were several container vans apprehended with smuggled dressed chickens,? he said, adding the effort did not last that long.<o
> </o> Antonio A. Villar Jr., head of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group, warned last year of a possible bird flu outbreak after thousands of frozen Peking ducks were seized from a Navotas warehouse.<o
> </o> He said the products did not pass through strict inspection by veterinary authorities and threaten public health.
<o
> </o> San Diego also bewailed the increasing volume of imported dressed chicken each year despite industry appeals for restraint to protect local producers.
<o
> </o> Dressed chicken imports steadily increased from 27.96 million kilos in 2005 to 32.68 million kilos in 2006, 45.07 million kilos in 2007 and 40.55 million kilos as of November 2008.
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/jan/25/yehey/top_stories/20090125top3.html