Subject: MPNR Closed for 21 days : 06 February 2008 米埔由二月六日起封閉 21 天 [Print This Page] Author: WWF Mai Po Time: 5/02/2008 21:28 Subject: MPNR Closed for 21 days : 06 February 2008 米埔由二月六日起封閉 21 天
A dead Great Egret found at Tam Kon Chau on 2nd February has tested positive for H5. Mai Po Nature Reserve will be closed for 21 days starting 6th February.
More ignorant, bad science and meaningless actions from The Centre for Health Protection.
1.
If the bird was collected on 2 Feb why is the reserve closed for 21 days from the press release? - this is 25 days in total, instead of 21 days from the collection of the bird?
in contrast
When a bird was found in Mong Kok Bird Market with H5N1 the market was closed for only 18 days.
2.
Mai Po (where people do not come into close contact with birds) has been closed several times when birds with H5 or H5N1 were found within 3km of the reserve
in contrast
The Bird Market (where traders and visitors come into close contact with stressed concentrations of caged birds) was not closed at all on the many more occasions when birds were found within the 3km zone, but not actually inside the market.
3.
When Mong Kok Bird Market ws closed compensation was paid to the bird sellers who imported the disease into Hong Kong.
in contrast
WWF has never been paid compensation for the numerous closures of Mai Po
Such inconsistency suggests that:
A the 3km 21 day protocol is meaningless,
B the Hong Kong Government is closing Mai Po for other reasons,
C it does not care if WWF is losing money as a result of its decisions
Some interesting facts:
The total number of human cases worldwide of H5N1 coming from contact with a wild bird is zero.
Hong Kong's top virologists Dr Malik Pereis and Dr Lo Wing Lok have publicly stated that the risk of human infection from wild birds is minimal.
The 3km 21 day rule which has led to the closure of Mai Po is based on measures to prevent H5N1 spreading from one infected chicken farm to another. It was never intended to be used to prevent human infection from wild birds.
Global best practice is not to close nature reserves. This is unique and scientifically unsupportable position developed in Hong Kong.
What conclusions should we draw?
Cheers
Mike K
Mike Kilburn
Vice Chairman, HKBWS
Chairman, Conservation Committee
The guideline only apply to Mai Po Nature Reserve & Wetland Park & Walk-in Aviaries
Management of Public Access to Mai Po Nature Reserve / Wetland Park / Walk-in Aviaries (content are extracted from the ACFEH Paper 65)
This paper briefs members on the criteria set for managing public access to the Mai Po Nature Reserve, the Wetland Park and other walk-in aviaries after any live or dead bird samples tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) viruses are collected from these area or their vicinity.
If dead wild birds are found to have H5 virus within 3 km radius of the Mai Po Nature Reserve, the Mai Po Nature Reserve will be closed to public access for a period of 21days. A similar mechanism should be in place for the Wetland Park. The proposed criteria will also apply to the closure and re-opening of the walk-in aviaries managed by the LCSD and Ocean Park.
Nothing we could do to object this 'unreasonable' arrangement Author: yvicky Time: 6/02/2008 10:11
I think this 3km 21days protocol applies ONLY to MPNR!!
You can guess from the Ocean Park case, a dead bird was found in the Ocean Park aviary, but only the aviary was closed but not the 3km area. I doubt if the government will close Wetland Park if a dead bird infected with H5N1 is found there.
It seems that the Government follow straight the "one country, two system" policy and apply this to the H5N1 protocol...."one protocol, two enforcement"!! :evil: Author: WWF Mai Po Time: 6/02/2008 11:21
If any member feels strongly about the closure of Mai Po, they can make a complaint to government.
Either write or call:
Dr. CHOW Yat Ngok, York,
Secretary for Food & Health,
Murray Building, Garden Road, Hong Kong
If possible, please copy WWF (publicvisit@wwf.org.hk) on any letters or e-mails sent to government.
Thank you,
WWF Mai Po OfficeAuthor: wmartin Time: 6/02/2008 15:15 Subject: Politics and bureaucracy not science
The witch hunt vs wild birds has eased, but is clearly not over.
Hong Kong was the first place to blame wild birds for spread of H5N1 (poultry flu variant); and not gonna stop blaming wild birds no matter the evidence.
Here's a bureaucratic, knee-jerk reaction, driven not by science by by paper pushers who likely barely leave the office (anyone ordering Mai Po closures ever walked around the reserve at such times, ever noticed that - as yet - not one case of H5N1 poultry flu at the reserve?).
I've protested before, long railed against blaming wild birds for being major vectors of H5N1 poultry flu. But what's the use; logic and commonsense go out the window when a witch hunt is in progress. Author: mbill Time: 11/02/2008 21:51
the Government follow straight the "one country, two system" policy and apply this to the H5N1 protocol...."one protocol, two enforcement"!!
一國兩制, 親疏有別嗎!!! :evil:
Do the birdwatchers need a protest parade? 是否鳥友們需要出來呢?:evil: Author: ttakyan Time: 18/02/2008 01:09
這兩次米埔封閉, 已令我失去這年冬季最佳觀鳥的機會. Author: wmartin Time: 22/02/2008 13:21 Subject: Mai Po to reopen on 27th?
Is Mai Po set to reopen on 27th?
- maybe getting confused by occasional dead reports, but thought I'd read of another h5n1 victim in the area, so wondered if date might be pushed back.
Anyone at all able to justify the closure on scientific grounds?
(I imagine bureaucratic bumbling paper pushers look at the ground when asked such things, or rather desperately try to refer questioners to info from elsewhere, which the bureaucrats themselves don't have solid grasp of.)
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