Kuwait bans live bird imports from Tunisia, France – Ban lifted on white meat from 5 countries

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KUWAIT CITY, Dec 6, (KUNA): The Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) has banned live bird imports from Tunisia and France for the outbreak of West Nile fever in the two countries. Acting PAAAFR Director General Nabila AlKhalil Faisal Al-Hasawi issued the decision on Sunday, providing that all incoming consignments will be subjected to the PAAAFR’s requirements and restrictions, in line with the relevant procedures of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the veterinary quarantine systems in Kuwait and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). In case infectious or epidemic diseases are spotted, a shipment will be rejected and the importer will be committed to return it to the source country, Al-Hasawi stressed.

The decision was taken against the backdrop of OIE recent reports on outbreak of WNF in Tunisia and France. Meanwhile, Kuwait Municipality’s Food Safety Commission has recommended lifting the ban on white meat imports from Italy, India, Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria.

The decision was taken upon a resolution from the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources that was also based a report from the World Organization for Animal Health which declared these countries H1N1 free areas, said the Commission Head Fahad Al-Msabbehi said.

Al-Msebbehi, however, noted that the commission has ordered a ban on white meat imports from two African countries, namely Ghana and Ivory Coast, for having H1N1 cases. The commission also postponed a decision on lifting the ban on the importation of livestock meat from the EU countries due to the spread of the mad cow disease. It assigned the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources to conduct a thorough report about the lifting the ban on white meat importation from America.

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