PAAAFR renews call to relocate bird market citing health and safety concerns
Poor oversight and unhealthy practices make current bird market unsafe: Al-Otaibi
The Public Authority for Agriculture and Fisheries has renewed its call to relocate the current bird market and identify an alternative site that meets health, safety, and biosecurity standards while ensuring the well-being of visitors.
Asma Al-Otaibi, Deputy Director General for the Livestock Sector, told Al-Rai that the market suffers from “a clear lack of oversight and weak enforcement of regulations, in addition to widespread unhealthy practices that pose risks to public health.”
She noted that inspection teams from the Authority had recently carried out several monitoring campaigns, which led to the closure of violating shops and action being taken against street vendors.
However, she emphasized that “these efforts, despite their importance, remain insufficient to fully contain the violations.”
Al-Otaibi warned that current market conditions increase the risk of disease transmission due to improper handling of animals and poor hygiene standards.
She stressed the need to establish a new, properly equipped location that ensures a clean and safe environment for bird trading while supporting bird breeders within a framework that upholds essential health requirements and serves the public interest.
