Fowls Forbidden in Cities
Tuesday, 16 January, 2007 | 12:41 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: To cut the chain of the bird flu virus, the government decided to prohibited fowl raising in housing areas. “Especially in critical areas, which are in three provinces,” said Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare, Aburizal Bakrie, yesterday after a bird flu coordination meeting with several ministers, governors and mayors.

The three provinces are Jakarta, Banten and West Java. “Other provinces are to follow,” Out of 30 provinces which have been contaminated by bird flu, 16 have been declared clean. So the handling is only concentrated in the 14 provinces. Clearance in three provinces will take place within the next two or three days.

Aburizal explained the prohibition is only valid for non-commercial fowl husbandry, which signifies the people's fowls. “The amount is 10 to 20 fowls in each house,” he said. Commercial husbandry is still permitted because it is considered as localized.

The legal standing of the prohibition is Decree No.32/2004 on Regional Governance and Decree No.4/1984 on Epidemics. “This is the authority for regional government (to take action) during an emergency epidemic situation.”

This prohibition is important to cut the contagion. “All the people suffering from bird flu died from living in housing areas with fowl,” said Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari yesterday. “If housing areas are free from fowls for only a month, I'm sure bird flu will not spread again.”

Director of Animal Health at the Agriculture Department, Musni Suatmodjo, said fowl elimination in housing areas can be carried out in two ways. First, elimination with compensation of Rp12,500 per fowl. Second, fowls are caged at a 250 meter minimum distance from housing areas. “All options are open,” said Musni. He emphasized that the fowls are not only chickens.

The Indonesia Fowl Society Forum agreed with husbandry localization. “But the implementation must be wise,” said the Forum's Coordinator, Don Utoyo, yesterday. According to him, wise means that the government provides special fields for fowls. “Not just because of the plan, they lose their livelihood,” said Don.

REH ATEMALEM SUSANTI | EWO RASWA | MUCHAMAD NAFI | YUDHA SETIAWAN