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(d) Will the Council carry out modification works for poultry stalls at markets, so as to conform with the policy of segregation of dressed water bird carcasses from live chickens? What are the works items and when will they be completed? Can the works be completed before the resumption of import of water birds in mid-April?
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-sut, Chairman of the Public Health Select Committee, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This is a four-part question.
On the first part of the question, the answer is 'yes' as far as the Food Business (Urban Council) (Amendment) Bylaw 1998 is concerned. Government's segregation policy serves to segregate live water birds from other live poultry. Pigeons and quails are not water birds. Hence, live pigeons and quails can be sold together with live chickens under the Amendment Bylaw. As regards partridge, it is not a species of water bird. However, under the Public Health (Animals and Birds) (Animal Traders) Regulations (Cap. 139), the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries withdrew the approval for trading of wild birds including partridges in Hong Kong on 6 March 1998, as 'wild birds are not subject to testing for H5N1 influenza virus prior to import and might therefore pose a public health risk.
The second part of the question asks whether Fresh Provision Shops other than those at the Western Wholesale Food Market can sell live water birds only. The answer is 'no'. The Food Business (Urban Council) (Amendment) Bylaw 1998 prohibits the sale of live water birds and other live poultry in the same premises. The same Amendment Bylaw also provides for live water birds, other live poultry and fresh or frozen poultry carcasses to be treated as separate categories of restricted foods, for which permission from the Council is required. Moreover, Council has endorsed the policy that we will not give permission to Fresh Provision Shops and PUC market stalls to sell live water birds, with the only exception being the stalls in the Western Wholesale Food Market, which are designated by Government for slaughtering of water birds.
On the third part of the question, the Council has amended the Food Business (Urban Council) Bylaws to give legal backing to Government's segregation policy at the retail level with a view to protecting public health. The management of wholesale markets is the responsibility of the Government and in particular the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries. Whether the amended bylaw will result in a state of negotiated prices or monopoly or whether this will cause any loss to the retailers depends on the arrangements that the Government agrees with the operators concerned. It is a matter for Government, not the Council, to address any economic and financial problems if any arising from the Government's segregation policy.
The fourth part of the question relates to segregation of dressed water bird from live chickens at market poultry stalls. The purpose of segregation of dressed poultry from live ones is to prevent contamination of the former by the
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(d) Will the Council carry out modification works for poultry stalls at markets, so as to conform with the policy of segregation of dressed water bird carcasses from live chickens? What are the works items and when will they be completed? Can the works be completed before the resumption of import of water birds in mid-April?
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-sut, ChairmAN OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This is a four part question.
On the first part of the question, the answer is 'yes' as far as the Food Business (Urban Council) (amendment) Bylaw 1998 is concerned. Government's segregation policy serves to segregate live water birds from other live poultry. Pigeons and quails are not water birds. Hence, live pigeons and quails can be sold together with live chickens under the Amendment Bylaw. As regards partridge, it is not a species of water bird. However, under the Public Health (Animals and Birds) (Animal Traders) Regulations (Cap. 139), the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries withdrew the approval for trading of wild birds including partridges in Hong Kong on 6 March 1998, as 'wild birds are not subject to testing for H5N1 influenza virus prior to import
and might therefore pose a public health risk.
The second part of the question asks whether Fresh Provision Shops other than those at the Western Wholesale Food Market can sell live water birds only. The answer is 'no'. The Food Business (Urban Council) (Amendment) JBylaw 1998 prohibits the sale of live water birds and other live poultry in the ssame premises. The same Amendment Bylaw also provides for live water birds, other live poultry and fresh or frozen poultry carcasses to be treated as separate categories of restricted foods, for which permission from the Council iis required. Moreover. Council has endorsed the policy that we will not give permission to Fresh Provision Shops and PUC market stalls to sell live water birds, with the only exception being the stalls in the Western Wholesale Food [Market, which are designated by Government for slaughtering of water birds.
On the third part of the question, the Council has amended the Food Business (Urban Council) Bylaws to give legal backing to Government's segregation policy at the retail level with a view to protecting public health. The management of wholesale markets is the responsibility of the Government and in particular the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries. Whether the amended bylaw will result in a state of negotiated prices or monopoly or whether this will cause any loss to the retailers depends on the arrangements that the Government agrees with the operators concerned. It is a matter for Government, not the Council, to address any economic and financial problems if any arising from the Government's segregation policy.
The fourth part of the question relates to segregation of dressed water bird from live chickens at market poultry stalls. The purpose of segregation pf dressed poultry from live ones is to prevent contamination of the former by the
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