Ministry Mulls Over Regulations On Moving Duck Rearers

KEPALA BATAS, March 22 (Bernama) -- A regulation enabling state governments, especially those states affected by the bird flu, to move out duck rearers who are using natural ponds which are being used as transit points by migratory birds, is being considered to prevent infection by the H5N1 virus.
Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the proposed regulation needed to be scrutinised because areas such as disused mining ponds and lakes were attracting the migratory birds which were believed to be the cause of the spread of the virus in this country.
He said the matter was merely at the proposal stage and had not been finalised as many implications had to be taken into consideration such as the legal provision, the number of birds that had to be moved out and the provision of new breeding areas.
Although the relocation of the bird rearers was under the jurisdiction of the state governments, Muhyiddin said his ministry was also responsible in the matter as it had become a national issue which involved national security, he told reporters after briefing the residents of Permatang Bongak, here on the virus tonight.
"This is just an idea and a suggestion. If we need to take such a drastic action, we will also get the state government to think about it because the (bird flu) outbreak is the responsibility of both the state and federal governments," he said.
He said, Perak for example had many disused mining ponds that were being used to rear ducks and at the same time migratory birds also made a stopover there.
It was difficult to stop the migratory birds but the risk of infection could be reduced by moving out the poultry being bred there.
"Maybe we can reduce the risks but to guarantee that it won't happen, that is difficult to say," he said.
Muhyiddin was also informed of new bird flu cases detected in Perak based on the samples tested at the Veterinary Research Institute in Ipoh.
However he could not elaborate further as he did not have the details on hand.
He said, thousands of samples were being tested daily and when a positive case was reported, the protocol implemented was that the birds within a radius of 1km would be culled.