Poultry farmers need permit to continue business after avian flu outbreak
Posted December 8, 2014 4:19 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Tighter restrictions are being put in place to prevent the spread of the avian flu.
Poultry farmers across much of BC now need a permit to grow or ship their birds. Those restrictions and permit needs become more strict depending on how close the farm is to the infected areas.
The zone boundaries are the Pacific Ocean, the US Border, Alberta, and Highway 16 intersecting with Prince George.
“Any of the birds which are of marketable age, they will need testing as well as confirmation that they are free from avian influenza. They will need a permit to moving it to the processing facility,” explains Canada’s Top Veterinarian Doctor Harpreet Kocchar. “The primary control zone will remain in place until the CFIA is confident the outbreak is contained.”
The United States, Mexico, South Africa and several Asian countries have imposed a variety of trade restrictions on poultry from either Canada or British Columbia after five farms have tested positive for the flu.
Kochhar says the control zone shows other countries Canada is taking action against the flu and that will allow trade restrictions to be limited to BC and the Fraser Valley.