PH Temporarily Bans Australian Poultry Products due to Bird Flu

Secretary William Dar of the Department of Agriculture (DA) has issued Memorandum No. 40, series of 2020 temporarily banning the importation of domestic and wild birds and their products including poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen originating from Australia.

The temporary ban was ordered after the Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Mark Schipp, of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Australian Government, Canberra, Australia has submitted an official report to the World Organisation for Animal Health last July 31, 2020 that there was one (1) outbreak of H7N7 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Lethbridge, Victoria affecting birds on July 24, 2020 which was confirmed by the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (OIE Reference Laboratory).

Through Memorandum No. 40, Secretary Dar has directed the following measures:

• Banning the importation of domestic and wild birds and their products, including poultry meat, day-old chicks, egg, and semen.
• Immediate suspension of the processing evaluation of the application and issuance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) import clearness to the above-stated commodities.
• All incoming poultry shipments with SPS import clearance issued on or before August 6, 2020 will be allowed provided that frozen poultry meat has a slaughter/process date of 21 days prior to the start of the HPAI outbreak (on or before July 3, 2020). All shipments will be subject to veterinary quarantine rules and regulations.
• Stoppage and confiscation of all shipments of the above-stated commodities (with the exception on heat-treated products) into the country by all DA Veterinary Quarantine Officers/Inspectors at all major ports of entry.

Source: Department of Agriculture / Memorandum No. 40, series of 2020