By Martha Taumata Faavae
The leading chain of supermarkets in Apia are doing business as usual after the recent ban on chicken imports to protect against the spread of the Avian Flu or Bird Flu as it is commonly known.
The ban is on chicken imports from Australia including other poultry products such as eggs.
“Our chicken imports are from the United States,” both Frankie Supermarket and Ah Liki Wholesales spokespersons responded when asked by Newsline Samoa.
Both supermarkets did admit there were safety concerns at first by customers when the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries announced the ban.
Chicken are the most popular choice of meat for local consumers, mainly because they are within their price range of affordable freezer goods.
“We did take a lot of enquiries from concerned customers when the ban was first announced but they were assured we get our supplies from America and not Australia,” the spokesperson for Ah Liki Wholesale said.
Customers around Upolu and in Savaii have also been assured of the safety of the chicken mean they buy.
The outbreak of bird flu in Australia was widely reported last month in September from the state of Victoria.
It was described as a ‘serious poultry disease’ with a high death rate in chickens used for commercial purposes.
Warnings have gone out to member countries of the Pacific Islands Community, SPC, to maintain strict quarantine controls to prevent the introduction of the virus.
SPC Animal Health technician, Ms. Elenoa Salele urged countries to test and strengthen their national preparedness plans for the disease.
“The cost in both financial and human terms can be heavy if we are not prepared, said Ms. Salele.
“We also need to get the message out to colleagues in the health and animal sectors and other sectors, and to communities.
“People need to know in simple terms what ‘avian influenza’ and ‘influenza pandemic’ mean, what effects they have, how they are spread, what they need to look out for, how they should respond if there is an outbreak, and how they can look after themselves during an outbreak.”
Samoa joins the Solomon Islands with the suspension of poultry import products from Australia. The prohibition includes meat products, egg products and live birds/chickens.
The bird flu viruses do not infect humans, except in some viruses such as the H5N1 strains that have caused serious infections in people.
