Gov. Kathy Hochul should shut down NYC’s reside poultry markets for good, activists urged this week after visiting 4 not too long ago reopened spots.
“Every one in every of these locations was worse than the final,” stated Councilmember Robert Holden, who was joined by animal activists and Republican mayoral hopeful Curtis Sliwa. “I can’t think about they may promote these birds. That they had no feathers, open wounds, have been bleeding lots.”
Earlier this month, Hochul ordered 82 reside poultry markets throughout New York Metropolis, Lengthy Island, and Westchester County to shut for 5 days — involved over the unfold of avian hen flu — mandating all markets have been cleaned and re-inspected earlier than greenlighting their reopening.
Even so, circumstances remained abhorrent, Holden stated.
“They pile these birds in cages on the road, and so there’s this yellow guck — most likely feces — with the blood on the road, and it goes down the road, and folks stroll in it, monitoring it dwelling,” stated Holden, who visited Tiba Dwell Poultry in Ridgewood and Kikiriki Dwell Poultry, Sam Dwell Poultry and Pio Pio Dwell Poultry in Bushwick, Brooklyn
The conservative Dem stated he not eats rooster after seeing the circumstances at reside markets a 12 months in the past.
“It doesn’t appear sanitary. Why are these locations allowed to exist in a crowded space in the course of New York Metropolis?”
Edita Birnkrant, govt director of animal rights group NYCLASS, stated the markets she visited with Holden promote birds insufficiently examined for avian flu — which has unfold to just about 70 people inside the final 12 months.
A Feb. 19 state emergency order mandates poultry farmers should take a look at solely 30 random birds from a “supply flock,” which may embrace lots of of 1000’s of birds, Birnkrant stated.
“That is nearly worse than doing nothing as a result of it’s conning the general public into believing they care about their security,” she stated.
Holden despatched a letter to Hochul Friday calling for “a complete assessment” of reside hen markets within the metropolis to stop “potential well being crises related to avian influenza.”
“As an animal rights particular person, I imagine no dwelling factor ought to endure, and these birds have been struggling,” Holden stated. “These locations should be shut down.
“Dwell markets shouldn’t be working in New York Metropolis.”
In an announcement, Hochul’s workplace stated she “directed the State Division of Agriculture and Markets to conduct routine inspections of reside hen markets for the avian flu,” and added that the state “strengthened oversight of those markets” this week to assist detect sick birds earlier than they enter these shops.
“New York State,” the assertion continued, “will proceed its coordinated, cross-agency technique to assist cease the unfold of avian flu and defend public well being.”
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