Authorities ready to implement poultry ban

Ras Al Khaimah: Authorities have not received official instructions banning live poultry but are prepared to take necessary steps to implement this decision once it is received.

"The RAK Anti Bird Flu sub-committee has not received any official orders from the federal authorities to implement the new live poultry ban," said Mubarak Ali Al Shamsi, who heads the committee.

"We want to see the order to implement it instantly," he said. "A number of municipal inspectors will be dedicated to this purpose," said Al Shamsi.

He said the RAK sub-committee has been conducting regular inspections of shops and poultry farms. "Samples are taken regularly for testing." Poultry shop owners were shocked to learn that the emirate will follow in the steps of Dubai and Abu Dhabi and ban sales of live poultry. They called for compensation for the losses they will suffer.

Mohammad Kamal Hussain, an Indian owner of a live poultry shop in Dhan of Ras Al Khaimah said he will change the licence of his shop to a grocery or a painting shop. "There is public demand for live poultry and people of various nationalities come to my shop daily to purchase fresh chicken," he said.

Safety

He added that the chickens sold in the live poultry shops are safe and pose no threat to public health and the RAK authorities should take the interests of shop owners into account.

He said that large quantities of live poultry are sold throughout Ras Al Khaimah and not been a single problem has been reported. He explained that he sells chicken by the piece - the small chicken weighing one kg is sold for Dh9 and the bigger chicken weighing three kg is sold for Dh20.

Mohammad Abu Al Bashar, another live poultry shop owner, said he will lose more than Dh30,000 when the decision is implemented in RAK.

He added that the live chickens which he sells come from Saudi Arabia by authorised agents who deliver safe poultry. He added that he was not aware that the UAE authorities would ban the live poultry from the entire market, otherwise he would not have risked his capital.