By Stephanie Sevillano
MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday announced the temporary ban of domestic and wild birds, and their by-products from Belgium due to the spread of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) or bird flu.
This came after Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. issued Memorandum Order No. 20, which aims to prevent a similar outbreak in the country.
“(There’s) a need to safeguard the local poultry industry from the HPAI virus,” Tiu Laurel said in a statement.
Other by-products covered are poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen.
Under the order, the processing and evaluation of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSIC) for these products from the European country is temporarily suspended.
Only shipments with poultry products slaughtered or produced on or before Feb. 3 will be allowed for transit, loading, and entry from Belgium.
Shipments from Belgium that were in transit, loaded, or accepted at the port before the official communication of the import ban will be allowed entry, provided the products were slaughtered or produced before Feb. 3 of this year.
Non-compliant shipments will either be sent back to the country of origin or be subject to seizure and destruction in a third country.
On Feb. 17, veterinary authorities in Belgium confirmed the avian influenza outbreak in Sint-Niklaas, Oost-Vlaanderen, Vlaanderen, which was then reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
Before the temporary import halt of poultry products from Belgium, the DA issued a temporary ban in Türkiye; Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Maryland, Missouri, and South Dakota in the United States; and East Otago, Waitaki, and Canterbury in New Zealand. (PNA)
