AGRICULTURE Minister Timis Efthymiou yesterday confirmed prevention measures implemented at the Green Line checkpoints to stop the spread of bird flu would be lifted next week.
Additional measures established within a 10-kilometre surveillance zone around the initial outbreak in the occupied areas would be lifted on the same day, he said.
Efthymiou was speaking to reporters regarding measures taken to limit the spread of bird flu on the island following reports of an outbreak in an occupied village near the buffer zone last month.
The minister said the measures would be lifted next Thursday, concluding a 30-day surveillance period as specified in a EU-approved national contingency plan. Measures included disinfecting vehicles’ tyres and all occupants travelling across from the occupied areas, as well as checking for poultry products.
The lifting of measures would not, however, extend to relaxed controls at local poultry farms.
Efthymiou said: “Inspections of domestic flocks’ confinement to closed areas, including all measures we announced before the outbreak will continue. The only ones that will be lifted next Thursday are the additional measures we took within the protection and at the checkpoints, which mainly involves the disinfections of cars.”
Inspections and transportation of animal products, particularly poultry, would also continue, he added.
Asked to comment on Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat’s letter of complaint to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barosso, Efthymiou said the government’s measures had been certified by the European Union.
Talat had written to Barosso complaining the Greek Cypriot side had exploited the bird flu situation with its unjust measures at the checkpoints, creating difficulties in crossing.
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris yesterday alleged the influence of the letter had become evident within a short period of time with the government announcing the above-mentioned measures would be lifted.
Regarding suspicions of whether or not there had been an outbreak of bird flu in the occupied north, Efthymiou said the government had made no claims there had been no outbreak.
“We never said no bird flu had been found. We said that the appearance of bird flu had raised a number of questions which we put to the experts and that they too had the same questions,” he stressed.
The Agriculture Minister questioned why there had been a 17-day delay between the appearance of the suspected outbreak and announcing test results. He also questioned the isolation of the incident and how no other birds had been infected.
“The incident appeared on January 12 and we received the results 17 days later, on January 29. There are questions that this was an isolated case and no other incidents or dead birds had been determined,” he said.
Efthymiou added in spite of globally recognised facts, which were common to all outbreaks, the local incident involved certain “peculiarities”, making it a unique phenomenon.
On Monday Veterinary Services head George Neophytou’s said he was convinced there had been no outbreak of bird flu on the island, as it did not make epidemiological sense. He said living birds in close proximity to the two dead ones found were culled and tested, with negative results.
Instead Neophytou believes the local sample may have been contaminated or accidentally switched in Turkey where it was sent before being flown to England for testing.
Don’t shun poultry
AGRICULTURE Minister Timis Efthymiou yesterday reiterated his appeal to consumers to continue eating chicken meat, as it was completely safe.
Speaking to reporters regarding the lifting of measures at the checkpoints next week.
He said: “The situation is not at all good for poultry farmers. They are facing severe problems due to the reduction in poultry sales despite the fact that we have repeatedly called on the public to consume poultry and chicken fearlessly because they pose absolutely no danger to health.”
Nevertheless Efthymiou said he was certain people would start to eat chicken again and that already poultry sales had already started to improve somewhat.
“I am sure people have realised there is no possibility, particularly in organised poultry farming, that there could have be any incident without being dealt with properly,” he said.
Regarding compensating poultry farmers, the Agriculture Minister said the EU was in the process of trying to find ways to help the industry.
“These matters are determined by the EU because there is a common poultry market organisation which determines how and in what way compensation is given. The issue has been put to the EU by other countries,” he said.
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