The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government is to amend a relevant legislation to ban household poultry-keeping with effect from the date of gazette within one or two weeks to reduce the risk of an outbreak of avian influenza in Hong Kong, Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food York Chow said on Friday.

Chow said at a press conference that in light of the identification of H5N1 in a smuggled chicken kept in a domestic household and the increasing incidents of avian influenza outbreaks in the Chinese mainland and other parts of the world, the government had to eradicate the risk factor by banning household poultry keeping.

"Given the public health concerns, we are proceeding with full speed in drafting legislation to ban household poultry keeping. We are of the view that such stringent measures are well justified," Chow said.

Under the proposed amendment, the existing exemption for households keeping not more than 20 poultry would be removed and that household poultry keeping would be banned in Hong Kong.

The unauthorized keeping of poultry including chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons, turkeys and quails would be an offense and subjected to a fine of 50,000 HK dollars (6,451 U.S. dollars) to 100,000 HK dollars (12,903 U.S. dollars).

Source: Xinhua