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EmailIphone Application    Posted: 6th January 2023
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Hong Kong set to end ban on hamster imports
The Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department intends to lift the import ban in mid-January.
Authorities are planning to resume importation from mid-January.

Hong Kong authorities are set to lift a year-long ban on the import of hamsters amid a relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions in the city.

Hamster importations were banned in Hong Kong last year after a worker at the Little Boss pet shop tested positive for the Delta variant of the virus. Tests conducted by authorities on the animals in the shop revealed that 11 hamsters imported from the Netherlands were infected. 

Owing to the zero-tolerance COVID policy in China, Hong Kong subsequently ordered the culling of some 2,000 hamsters, prompting a backlash from animal rights campaigners and pet owners against the measures.

Speaking to BBC News, a spokesperson from the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said it intends to lift the import ban in mid-January.

"Our staff will arrange to collect samples from hamsters and other small mammals for Covid-19 testing. They can only be sold if the test results are negative," the spokesperson said.

A spokesperson from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Hong Kong added: "If such imports are to resume, the hamsters need to be handled with consideration [and] given the best care possible during transport and quarantine.”

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.