MANILA — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has imposed a temporary ban on the importation of wild and domestic birds, including poultry products, from the Netherlands following a bird flu outbreak early this month.

The suspension covers poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen used for artificial insemination of breeders.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said Dutch veterinary authorities reported to the World Organization for Animal Health on October 8 an outbreak of H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Aa en Hunze, Drenthe, on October 6, which infected domestic birds.

Acting on the recommendation of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Tiu Laurel ordered the import ban to protect the country’s poultry population and prevent the entry of the HPAI virus. He emphasized that the poultry industry remains vital to food security and serves as a key source of investments and employment.

The DA chief also instructed the BAI to suspend the processing and issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for poultry commodities from the Netherlands.

Under the memorandum order, shipments from the Netherlands that were in transit, loaded, or accepted at ports before the ban took effect will be allowed entry, provided the products were slaughtered or produced on or before September 22.

Except for heat-treated products, all covered shipments arriving after the ban will be confiscated by veterinary quarantine officers at ports of entry.

The DA last imposed a similar import ban in December 2024 due to a bird flu outbreak in the Netherlands. That restriction was lifted in May this year.