To protect the local poultry sector, the Philippines has closed its borders to domestic and wild birds, including game fowl, coming from California, following the detection of a dreadful avian disease in that US state.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol issued Memorandum Order (MO) 33, which ordered the temporary blanket ban on the importation of poultry animals after the presence of Virulent Newcastle Disease (VND) was confirmed in Southern California (Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside).
“The interstate movement of game fowl poses a risk to the spread or breakout of diseases,” Piñol said in the order dated October 10, but a copy of which was provided to reporters on Wednesday.
“To provide the appropriate level of protection to the estimated P100-billion industry, there is a need to prevent the incursion of VND into the country,” Piñol added.
Piñol based the order on the official data published by the US Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, indicating that, “There have been a number of confirmed incidences” of VND in Southern California that affected backyard exhibition chickens.
Under the MO, the government has suspended the processing, evaluation of the application and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance to poultry animals to be sourced from California.
The DA’s veterinary quarantine officers and inspectors at all major ports will stop and confiscate all shipments of the poultry animals coming from California.
Piñol issued the order just a few days after the discovery of the arrival of undocumented game fowl at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
A government source who spoke on the condition of anonymity told the BusinessMirror that millions worth of game fowl that were imported from California have been seized and would be culled by the government this week. The source said the poultry animals entered the country without proper health certificates.
Image credits: Nonie Reyes