The indefinite import bans also prevent traders from bringing in Belgian and French poultry products including poultry meat, day-old chicks, hatching eggs, and poultry semen into the Philippines
The Philippines has banned the importation of poultry and other poultry products, including wild birds, from Belgium and France after the two European nations reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) their respective outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in domestic birds.
Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. Agriculture Secretary said the import bans imposed on the neighboring European countries were necessary to prevent the possible entry of HPAI-H5N1 into the Philippines. “We’re doing this to protect the health of our local poultry population as well as poultry workers and consumers since H5N1 is a virus that can be transmitted to humans by infected animals,” he said.
Belgium and France, which share a border, almost simultaneously reported the bird flu outbreak in domestic birds to the WOAH. Belgium submitted its report on December 1, 2023, while France on November 30, 2023.
The DA’s imposition of the ban will immediately stop the acquisition of both domesticated and wild birds from Belgium and France. The indefinite import bans also prevent traders from bringing in Belgian and French poultry products including poultry meat, day-old chicks, hatching eggs, and poultry semen into the Philippines starting January 8, 2024.
Meat imports already in transit, loaded or accepted before the ban will still be allowed to enter the country if the poultry were slaughtered or the products were produced on or before November 12, 2023, in the case of France, and November 16, 2023, for Belgium. All imports after the above-mentioned dates will not be considered upon arrival in the country, except for heat-treated products.
