DA suspends transport of live birds from Luzon to MIMAROPA, Visayas, Mindanao for 30 days

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has temporarily suspended the transportation of both poultry and non-poultry live birds from mainland Luzon to the rest of the country in light of the outbreak of avian influenza or bird flu in Bulacan and Pampanga.

In its Memorandum Circular No. 6, series of 2022, signed by Agriculture Secretary William Dar on March 7, the DA prescribed guidelines for the movement of domestic and wild birds and poultry products and by-products during the bird flu outbreak.

The Agriculture department said that it has confirmed the detection of avian influenza type A subtype H5N1 in duck farms in the towns of Baliuag in Bulacan and Candaba in Pampanga as well as quail farms in Candaba and Mexico, Pampanga.

The DA also said it notified the first case of bird flu to the World Organization for Animal Health on February 18, 2022.

With this, the agency temporarily suspended for 30 days the movement of all species of live birds (poultry and non-poultry), including day-old chicks, day-old pullets, hatching eggs, ready to lay pullets, ducks, and quails from mainland Luzon, particularly Regions 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5, and CAR, to MIMAROPA, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The DA also suspended the transport of pigeons and game-fowls to and from mainland Luzon to the rest of the country for 30 days.

Meanwhile, transport of game-fowls from MIMAROPA, Visayas, and Mindanao to mainland Luzon is allowed, but its transport back to the said areas from mainland Luzon is prohibited.

Transport of live ducks within mainland Luzon to the rest of the country for grazing is also suspended for 30 days.

The DA, likewise, suspended live bird markets in Bulacan, Pampanga, Laguna, Camarines Sur for a month.

Inter-regional movement of live ducks and quails within and from mainland Luzon to MIMAROPA, Visayas, and Mindanao are suspended for 30 days.

Movement of live ducks and quails from Bulacan, Pampanga, Laguna, and Camarines Sur to any destination in the Philippines is suspended for a month.

“Similar transport/movement restrictions will be applied progressively for areas with positive detection of avian influenza,” the DA said.

Exceptions

The DA issued the following exceptions to its transport ban of live birds:

•     transshipment of imported day-old chicks, day-old pullets, hatching eggs from international airports and seaports in Luzon to MIMAROPA, Visayas, and Mindanao
•     transshipment of game-fowls from international airports and seaports in Luzon to the rest of the country
•     transport of table eggs, salted eggs, quail eggs, and balut from mainland Luzon to the rest of the Philippines
•     transport of poultry meat from mainland Luzon to the rest of the country
•     movement of poultry dung or manure

The guidelines were issued to protect the avian influenza free areas in the country and ensure that the potential spread of the disease through trade is mitigated, the DA said.—AOL, GMA News