Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ10: Way forward of live poultry trade
Following is a question by the Hon Shiu Ka-fai and a written reply by the
Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, in the Legislative Council
today (July 12):
Question:
Regarding the way forward for the live poultry trade, will the Government inform
this Council:
(1) given that the supply of live chickens from the Mainland to Hong Kong was
suspended or reduced intermittently on a number of occasions after January 2014,
and has even halted altogether since February 2016, of the actions taken by the
authorities since 2014 to provide assistance to the live poultry traders
affected; whether the Secretary for Food and Health will consider paying a visit
to the Mainland to discuss with the relevant Mainland authorities (including the
General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine
(AQSIQ)) on expeditious resumption of supply of live chickens to Hong Kong; if
so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2) as the Government stated last month that the Food and Health Bureau, the
Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and the Centre for Food
Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department had been maintaining
liaison with AQSIQ, the Ministry of Commerce as well as the relevant entry-exit
inspection and quarantine bureaux of the Mainland on the issue of supply of
Mainland live chickens to Hong Kong, of the date, mode, participating
departments and outcome of each session of such liaison made since 2014;
(3) as it has been learnt that there has been no longer any minor poultry
(including pigeons, silky chickens, pheasants and chukars) imported from the
Mainland to Hong Kong since a few months ago, whether the Government has gained
an understanding from the Mainland authorities on when the supply of minor
poultry to Hong Kong will be resumed;
(4) as the Government sees merits in the measure recommended by a consultant of
vaccinations of poultry against H7N9 Avian Influenza (AI) virus to improve
bio-security, and it has been reported that farms on the Mainland are
administering such vaccinations to chickens to fight against AI, whether the
Government will expedite the discussion with the Mainland authorities on the
resumption of supply of live chickens to Hong Kong;
(5) whether it will consider relaxing the regulation on the transfer of licences
for live poultry wholesalers and retailers, so as to make it easier for such
licences to be passed on; if not, of the reasons for that; and
(6) as the Government has indicated that it will invite the trade to participate
in the study of different feasible options for enhancing the segregation between
consumers and live poultry at retail outlets and for the relocation of Cheung
Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market, of the details of the relevant
plans?
Reply:
President,
My reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:
(1) to (3) In response to the avian influenza (AI) incident at the end of
January 2014, the Government looked into practical arrangements that would help
avoid causing disruption to the operation of local live poultry trade and the
supply of live poultry to Hong Kong in case of detection of H7 AI virus in
imported live poultry. Since it took time to work out and put in place suitable
arrangements, despite the fact that Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry
Market (CSWTWPM) resumed operation in February 2014, the Government decided then
to continue the suspension of importation of live poultry from the Mainland for
about four months. Given the impact of the suspension on the operation of import
wholesalers, cross-boundary transport operators of live poultry and retailers
who sold solely live pigeons, the Government assessed the situation and decided
to provide these stakeholders with a one-off ex-gratia payment (EGP) and rental
waiver on an exceptional basis to help alleviate their financial hardship so
caused.
It is understood that since the detection of AI at the end of December 2014, in
the light of the prevailing AI situation on the Mainland and nearby areas as
well as the associated risks, the Mainland authorities have adopted more
stringent measures for managing registered Mainland farms supplying live poultry
to Hong Kong and Macau. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government
keeps an open mind on the supply of live poultry from the Mainland, and
recognises the importance of the measures taken by the relevant Mainland
authorities to strengthen the prevention and control of AI on the Mainland.
Although there is no import ban on live poultry from the Mainland, the
registered Mainland farms supplying live poultry to Hong Kong, on commercial
considerations, have not supplied live chickens to Hong Kong since mid-February
2016.
The Food and Health Bureau, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation
Department (AFCD) and the Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental
Hygiene Department (FEHD) maintain close liaison with the General Administration
of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), the Ministry of
Commerce, and the relevant entry-exit inspection and quarantine bureaux of the
Mainland on issues relating to food supply from the Mainland as well as
safeguarding food safety, including the issue of live poultry supply to Hong
Kong, on various occasions and through various channels under the existing
communication mechanism. Our efforts on this front will continue. Also, I will
visit the Mainland in due course to discuss issues of mutual concern.
(4) AFCD maintains communication with the Ministry of Agriculture and AQSIQ
about issues relating to the H7 AI vaccine. It is understood that the Ministry
of Agriculture is preparing for the production of the vaccine. The Government
will keep in view the progress, including whether the vaccine will be used on
the registered Mainland farms supplying live poultry to Hong Kong.
(5) A live poultry wholesaler operating in CSWTWPM is required to sign a stall
tenancy agreement with AFCD, under which transfer of the tenancy by the tenant
is not allowed. Under special circumstances, however, the tenancy may be
transferred to immediate family members (i.e. parents, spouse or children) of
the tenant. If the tenant is a company, the shares transferable within the
tenancy period must not exceed 49 per cent and the transferees must not be the
recipients of EGP under the voluntary surrender scheme (note) in exchange for
their surrender of tenancies and ceasing operation. As for retailers, FEHD
allows transfer of the licence/tenancy of a live poultry retail outlet to
immediate family members (i.e. parents, spouse or children) of the
licensee/tenant so as to maintain the operational landscape of the live poultry
supply chain. The Government currently has no plan to change the above policy.
(6) Having considered the findings of the consultancy study completed earlier on
the way forward of live poultry trade in Hong Kong and the outcome of public
consultation, the Government has decided to maintain the status quo for the live
poultry trade (i.e. continue the sale of live poultry at retail level and no
need to ban the import of live poultry from the Mainland). The Government will
also actively implement a series of bio-security improvement measures
recommended in the consultancy study, including exploring the feasibility of
introducing vaccination against H7N9 AI on local chicken farms, strengthening
pre-sale AI testing at farm level and reducing staying time of minor poultry at
the wholesale market, in order to guard against AI risk in a more comprehensive
manner. In response to the divergent views received on further segregation of
live poultry and humans at retail outlets and the relocation of CSWTWPM, the
Government is currently studying different options and will engage the trade in
due course to ensure that the options developed would be pragmatic and feasible.
Note: To reduce human contact with live poultry for better prevention of AI, the
Government launched a voluntary surrender scheme and a buyout scheme in
2004/2005 and 2008 respectively concerning the licences/tenancies of poultry
farmers and other related businesses in the live poultry supply chain.
Ends/Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Issued at HKT 12:07
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