UAE bans imports from four nations hit by bird flu

ABU DHABI / WAM

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) issued four resolutions banning the import of birds and their byproducts from areas that recorded an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza during November 2020 as per notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
Three of the resolutions ban the import of all species of domestic and wild live birds,
ornamental birds, chicks, hatching eggs and their thermally untreated byproducts from the Netherlands, Germany, and select areas of Russia. Meanwhile, the fourth resolution bans the import of poultry meat and table eggs from several regions in the UK.
The resolutions align with MOCCAE’s priority of ensuring food safety and security. In this context, the Ministry closely monitors the animal health situation in food import markets, and takes immediate precautionary measures when any
of them are affected by pathogens. Such efforts curb the spread of pathogens in the country and protect animal health and food safety, in addition to safeguarding public health and well-being.
The import ban on poultry from the Netherlands and Germany as well as Herefordshire county and Cheshire West and Chester area in the UK followed an outbreak of a highly contagious strain of bird flu that
has been circulating around Europe. To control the spread of the disease, the affected countries culled thousands of chickens.
In response to the situation in the Netherlands, MOCCAE has prohibited the import of all species of domestic and wild live birds, ornamental birds, chicks, hatching eggs and their thermally untreated byproducts until the country is declared disease-free. .
Furthermore, MOCCAE has imposed restrictions on consignments coming from the UK.