The government has imposed a temporary ban on importing poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and domestic and wild birds from a municipality in the Netherlands.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it made the decision after the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs confirmed to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) the outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Olderkerk in Grootegast, Groningen, which affected birds. The Dutch agency reported to the OIE on February 27.
“[The ban is being imposed] to prevent the entry of HPAI virus to protect the health of the public and the local poultry population,” Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said in Memorandum Order 7, a copy of which was obtained by reporters on Tuesday.
With the ban in place, the Philippine government has suspended the processing, evaluation of the application, and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance of domestic and wild birds and poultry products from Grootegast, Groningen, the Netherlands.
The DA warned that it will confiscate all shipments of the banned commodities originating from the area.
The ban does not cover heat-treated products.
“Frozen poultry meat with slaughter/process date of 21 days prior to the HPAI outbreaks are allowed to enter the country subject to veterinary quarantine rules and regulations,” Piñol said.
Manila usually imposes a temporary ban on poultry products from areas where there are HPAI outbreaks as a preventive measure.
The Philippine government has vowed to be more vigilant in monitoring shipments of imported poultry products following the bird flu outbreak in Pampanga last August.
The government expects to regain the country’s bird flu-free status this month.