Press Releases
SFH on measures to prevent avian influenza
Following is the transcript of remarks made by the Secretary for Food and
Health, Dr York Chow, at a stand-up media session after attending radio
programmes this morning (June 28):
Reporter: (about chicken farmers' plan to take their chickens with them to
participate in July 1 rally)
Secretary for Food and Health: The chicken farmers have applied to the
Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department to have a release licence for
chickens. But we have already said that this cannot be granted. I hope that they
will not do anything that is unlawful. Of course we will allow any type of
demonstration in a non-violent manner. More important, we hope they would engage
us and discuss with us on the various issues that they are concerned about.
Reporter: (about enforcement actions against chicken farmers' protest)
Secretary for Food and Health: No, Hong Kong is a free place and anybody can
demonstrate on July 1 or any other time as long as they get permission from the
Police.
Reporter: Given the loss of contact with some of the retailers, will there be
any disruption or delay in the reopening of retail outlets?
Secretary for Food and Health: Right now, among the 64 markets, 12 have passed
the sanitation and hygiene tests. We feel that more (markets) will be upcoming.
Colleagues of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will be contacting
all the stall owners to ensure that they will do their job. We have also asked
the trade to cooperate to contact those owners who might be out of town to come
back in time to cleanse their stalls so that they can comply with the hygiene
condition for lifting the ban.
Reporter: (about reopening of retail outlets)
Secretary for Food and Health: If one stall is not thoroughly cleansed and still
have perhaps any chicken debris and excreta there, we will not be able to lift
the ban. This is a very important aspect. That is why we have through our staff
and the trade themselves appealed to them that they should all come back and do
the cleansing as soon as possible.
Reporter: (about compensation package)
Secretary for Food and Health: We started off with the retailers because they
are more ready to talk. As I said earlier, we look at about 90 per cent of
acceptance as the compensation package will be considered and taken to the
Finance Committee of the Legislative Council on July 4. We are waiting for the
response of the retailers at this point of time.
Reporter: (about no live poultry at retail outlets overnight)
Secretary for Food and Health: The managers and our health inspectors will go to
the stalls every day around 8pm to ensure that all live chickens will be culled
and properly stored or sold by that time. This is some extra work for our market
managers but this is important that we have to enforce this regulation.
Reporter: (about inspecting live poultry retail outlets)
Secretary for Food and Health: It is something that we will start on July 2.
This is a very important enforcement. We will mobilise as many staff as possible
to do this.
(Pls also refer to the
Chinese session of the transcript)
Ends/Saturday, June 28, 2008
Issued at HKT 13:41
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