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PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
Mr. Lam Man-fai (in Cantonese);—I want to follow up on the question of selling pigeons and live chicken side by side. This Council has advised the public not to feed wild pigeons. Putting pigeons under the category of wild birds permitted to be sold together with live chicken gives rise to many problems too. Can we review the situation and require pigeons and live chicken to be sold separately?
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese);—Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. LAM for his question. Up to the present, we do not have any information on whether fed pigeons come under the category of wild birds. Catching wild pigeons and selling them together with fed pigeons may bring high economic cost, but if found, the result may be that the whole lot of pigeons cannot be sold. The negative effects are prominent. In any case, we have so far not discovered any case of wild pigeons sold as fed pigeons.
MR. CHAN KWOK-LEUNG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, poultry retailer licences are issued by this Council. When scaling the licence fees, this Council assumed that poultry traders could sell all kinds of poultry including water birds, other kinds of birds and live chicken side by side. Faced with the policy change, if we only care to ask whether the AFD ruins H5N1 tests, let it be when that Department responds that it does not intend to and maintain that we are only concerned with market management and licensing, then we are just being irresponsible. When traders first applied for their licences, they counted on being able to sell various kinds of birds and water birds. May I ask the Chairman of the Select Committee whether he is in favour of a fresh review of licence fees for Fresh Provision shops and rental of poultry stalls at markets? The factor to take into account is that both of them are no longer allowed to sell live water birds. In fact, although the import of live chicken has resumed, certain kinds of poultry are still not allowed to be sold. It affects 10% to 20% of the business turnover of poultry stalls.
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, is this an opinion or a question?
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):—He is asking whether there will be a fresh review of licence fees and poultry stall rental. You can either refer it to the Select Committee or choose to give a reply.
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, licensing conditions are amended in accordance with the needs of public health. The most important thing is to keep in pace with circumstantial need and to protect public health. It is also why supplementary conditions are put in at times.
Mr. Daniel To Boon-man (in Cantonese):—I would like assistance from the Chairman of the Select Committee. Traders are now facing difficulties in
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