RP seeks exemption from Japan ban on importation of chicken

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking exemption from the 90-day temporary ban by Japan of its chicken imports from the Philippines.

"We will be appealing to the Japanese agriculture and health authorities to allow chicken exports to resume even before the three-month period ends on Sept. 21 on grounds that the Philippines was not afflicted with bird flu or avian influenza (AI), only, that we were exposed to the virus which is not at all the highly-pathogenic strain," said Davinio Catbagan, officer-in-charge of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), an attached agency of the DA.

Catbagan said that the 90-day imposition by Japan should only apply to countries that have confirmed bird flu cases, specifically the deadly H5N1 strain that ravaged billions of dollars poultry farms across Asia in 2004.

"The incident in the Philippines was one of mere exposure to the virus, there is no incidence of bird flu at all," stressed Catbagan.

In a letter to BAI, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture said it would use the 90-day ban from June 21 to Sept. 21 to verify the surveillance methods being carried out by the agency to ensure that the bird flu plague does not penetrate Philippine shores.

In particular, the BAI will be required to periodically inform Japan about the results of weekly blood samples taken from the suspected duck flock in a farm in Bulacan.

Catbagan said the weekly samples are transported for testing to the Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL), the regional reference laboratory for AI of the Paris-based Office Internationale des Epizooties, or OIE which is under the World Organization for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

While awaiting the 90-day ban to be lifted, the DA already asked the OIE to issue a certification declaring the Philippines as free from the bird flu virus.

Earlier, Japan nixed the Philippines’ bid to resume its chicken exports to the country.

Koji Sasaki, Japan’s health attaché in Manila said Japan’s agriculture ministry has informed the Philippines that it would not import any poultry or poultry products from the country anytime soon.

Japan’s position was contained in a letter sent by the country’s agriculture ministry to the Philippines’ DA.