Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ2: Avian influenza
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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