In a move to prevent the spread of avian flu the Hong Kong Government is offering to make ex-gratia payments to encourage people who deal with live poultry to leave the trade.

On July 14, 2008, the Food and Health Bureau announced that retailers could apply to permanently surrender permission to sell live poultry on their fresh provision shop licenses or public market tenancies, and receive ex-gratia payments.

The Legislative Council Finance Committee has approved the bureau's application for HKD1.123 billion funding to implement the live poultry trade buyout scheme. Under the scheme live poultry farmers, wholesalers, retailers, transporters and their workers can receive ex-gratia payments for leaving the trade.

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has written to retailers explaining the arrangement and distributed application documents with an application deadline of July 24, 2008.

If at least 85% of retailers opt to leave the trade by the deadline the Government will launch the ex-gratia payment scheme for farmers, wholesalers and transporters from September 24, 2008.