Anger over Japan's ban on British birds
UK - MPs last night hit back at Japan and Hong Kong's decision to ban British poultry imports because of bird flu.Their anger came as the culling of the 15,000 chickens involved in the second outbreak of the H7N3 virus in North Tuddenham, near Dereham, came to an end.
The slaughter at Mowles Manor and Norwich Road Farms, both owned by Geoffrey and Simon Dann, followed the culling of 35,000 birds at Banham Poultry's Whitford Lodge Farm, also in North Tuddenham.
Defra confirmed yesterday that Hong Kong and Japan had stopped importing British birds and said that this was against international trade rules because the outbreaks were only low pathogenic bird flu.
H7N3 is not linked to the deadly H5N1 virus that has killed 100 people worldwide.
The only bird in Britain to have been found with H5N1 was a swan in Cellardyke, Scotland, and yesterday the 1,000 square mile quarantine zone surrounding the area where the bird was found in April was lifted.
Euro MP Richard Howitt said he would be raising Hong Kong and Japan's decision with the European Commission today.
Source: The Business EDP 24
2 May 2006
1 minute read
