PH bans birds, poultry products from Japan, Austria

The Philippine government, through the Department of Agriculture (DA), has imposed a temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds as well as poultry products from Austria and Japan due to reported outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the respective countries. In a statement on Thursday, the DA said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. issued separate memorandum orders —MO No. 49 (Austria) and MO No. 48 (Japan)— for the implementation of the import ban. The ban aims to safeguard the local poultry industry from the risks of animal health threats, according to the Agriculture Department. The order was triggered when Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries reported an outbreak of the H5 subtype of bird flu in Atsuma, Hokkaido, to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) on November 5, 2024. The outbreak, which occurred on October 16, 2024, affected domestic birds. Likewise, the DA banned importation of birds and ...