The Food & Health Bureau has launched a two-month public consultation on a consultant's recommendation the sale of live poultry at retail level be maintained and no ban be imposed on live poultry imports from the Mainland.
It launched the consultation today after announcing the findings and recommendations of the consultancy study on the future of Hong Kong's live poultry trade.
The study said Hong Kong's avian influenza measures are amongst the most comprehensive and stringent in the world and are effective in preventing human infection, noting no locally infected human case of H5 or H7 virus has occurred in Hong Kong since 1997.
The consultancy survey also revealed a significantly larger share of people favour live poultry over freshly slaughtered birds.
Though the views of experts on public and animal health are divided, local trade operators in general support maintaining the status quo in order to preserve local culinary culture and to minimise the impact on the trade, the bureau said.
After collating views from various stakeholders and studying safeguard measures, the bureau said the status quo for the poultry trade can be maintained and proposed some biosecurity improvements.
The measures include exploring the feasibility of introducing additional vaccinations against H7N9, strengthening presale tests on local chickens, relocating the wholesale poultry market, and enhancing the separation of humans and live poultry.
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Deadline for submission is June 3.
