Birds, hatching eggs import from Asia regulated

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) issued on Sunday regulations for importing living birds, their products and hatching eggs and one day old chicks from Asia.

A resolution issued by Dr Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, defined the health, veterinary and regulatory requirements the exporting country should fulfill.

The exporting country should have an early warning system for detecting avian flu, an integrated query system, a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point or (HACCP), Cites certificates and should be free of the highly pathogenic strain of H5N1 strain and adopt the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Guidelines for the Surveillance of Avian Influenza.

Exporters are also demanded to obtain a permit from the Ministry and that shipments are only allowed to enter by air through international airports in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah and by land through the Ghuweifate border checkpoint.