Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said that the delayed release of hundreds of gamefowls imported from the US was a standard precautionary measure taken by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) to prevent potential spread of avian influenza to the multi-billion-peso Philippine poultry industry.

“The BAI acted on information received regarding imported breeding stocks from California, one of two states in the U.S.--the other is Ohio -- where we had banned importation of birds, including poultry products, due to recent outbreaks of H5N1, a highly pathogenic avian influenza strain,” said Sec. Tiu Laurel.

The BAI earlier this week halted the release of some 400 gamefowls shipped from Atlanta, Georgia by a courier on behalf of several Filipino breeders fighting cocks. The courier claims to have secured all necessary permits for the shipment, including those from BAI and certification from US authorities that the birds have tested negative for avian influenza.

“We're just being extra careful and vigilant in protecting our poultry industry, not to mention the fast-growing gamefowl breeding sector. The spread of avian influenza from imported birds could immensely damage our poultry sector and could wipe out billions of pesos in investments, endanger thousands of jobs, and potentially undermine our food security,” the agri chief said. 

As a further biosecurity measure, the BAI conducted a random sampling of 30 heads and tested the gamefowls for avian influenza. If test results are negative, the gamefowls can be officially discharged. 

In January, the DA banned the importation of domesticated and wild birds, including poultry meat, eggs and other products, from the US two states due to the rapid spread of the H5N1 strain since the first confirmed laboratory tests in November.