Animal disease prevention law requires Macau report to Beijing

Macau must report any outbreak of animal diseases to the central government, according to lawmaker Ho Ion Sang, but Hong Kong does not have the same obligation.
Yesterday, government representatives met with members of the First Standing Committee of the Legislative Assembly (AL) to discuss the animal disease prevention law, formerly approved in general terms.
After the meeting, Ho explained to the media that whenever an animal disease outbreak is identified in Macau, the local government must report it to mainland China’s national health and hygiene authority, whereas the Hong Kong SAR is not required to report such an occurrence. This does not mean that Macau needs the central government’s approval to confirm or announce an epidemic outbreak, but the local government is obliged to inform the central government.
According to the lawmaker’s interpretation, as Hong Kong has observer status at the World Health Organization (WHO), the city does not have mandatory reporting requirements of animal disease outbreaks to mainland China. As Macau is not an observer, it must report the situation to the central government.
The animal disease prevention law also recommends that, based on the principle of mutual benefit, the local government can voluntarily report animal epidemic outbreaks to other countries and regions.
Amid the outbreak of Covid-19, government representatives, including Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon, assured lawmakers that Macau’s laws prevent the consumption of wild animals.
Currently, Macau has several regulations and laws related to wild animals, including the Convention on International Trade in Engendered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and the city’s food safety law. Both explicitly list banned wild animals.
“From import to sale, there are laws ensuring that wild animals are banned,” said Ho.
After the outbreak of Covid-19, mainland China announced that the country would amend its laws to expand the crackdown on wild animal consumption. However, as of today, no further details have been revealed by the mainland government authority.
Ho said that once mainland China announces an amended version of the country’s wild animal protection law, the local government will in turn review Macau’s animal disease prevention bill.
According to the bill, the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) is responsible for assessing an animal epidemic outbreak and reporting the situation to the Health Bureau (SSM) if necessary. The IAM is also responsible for ordinary epidemic prevention measures. The Chief Executive has the responsibility to declare which part of the city has become an area affected by animal disease. The Chief Executive can also establish a temporary animal epidemic prevention work team.
Parties which do not obey the IAM’s request for specific measures to prevent animal disease will be charged with disobedience. For disobeying the Chief Executive’s order, they will be charged with aggravated disobedience.
This bill does not propose compensation for losses incurred by culling animals as part of epidemic prevention measures.
Currently, Macau does not have live poultry farms. The local government is managing a slaughterhouse with an average daily throughput of over 100 pigs and nine cattle.