Food safety authorities in Hong Kong have announced a ban on imports of eggs and poultry products produced in the Highlands due to the ongoing bird flu outbreak.
Ariane Burgess, Scottish Greens MSP for the Highlands & Islands, commented:
“The Highlands have a worldwide reputation for producing high-quality food and drink products, so at a time when farmers are recovering from the Tory’s mis-managed Brexit and inflation, it’s deeply concerning to hear of this ban on produce.
“A UK Government risk assessment recently found that the release of several millions of captive pheasants during July and August last year had a very high likelihood of infecting one or more wild birds with bird flu in the vicinity of release sites, so it’s especially ironic that this news is being announced at the start of the grouse shooting season.”
“Our world-renowned landscapes and nature are for all of us and we need to acknowledge that turning over so much of our wild spaces to elitist and violent blood sports is actively harmful to local communities, as well as local wildlife.”
