Hong Kong will ban the sale of live poultry in markets within three years in a move aimed at averting an outbreak of deadly bird flu, the city’s political leader said on Thursday.
Chief executive Donald Tsang told the legislature that while the territory was closely monitoring the spread of the H5N1 virus in China, it should also remain on guard for a possible outbreak at home.
”The threat of avian flu remains … we will remain vigilant to protect ourselves from any outbreak of avian flu or any epidemic diseases,” Tsang said during a fiery 90-minute exchange.
Bird flu has killed more than 100 people, mainly in east Asia, since outbreaks in 2003. Asians’ fondness for poultry slaughtered just before cooking is thought to have contributed to its spread.
The plan would see a central slaughterhouse set up in the rural New Territories, from where chicken meat would be distributed to retail outlets.
It is hoped to reduce human contact with potentially infected bird waste by closing down the hundreds of stalls in public markets where the slaughtering presently takes place.
The scheme had been mulled over since an outbreak of the H5N1 virus here in 1997 killed six people and prompted the culling of more than two million poultry.
Tsang faced vocal opposition from lawmakers concerned about the future of 10 000 market traders and bird handlers.
”We understand that this will bring inconvenience. We will think of a proper compensation system,” Tsang said, adding however, that public health was his prime concern. — Sapa-AFP