Contrast the long-term closure of Mai Po after cases of H5N1 that occur some way distant with what will apparently be a swift re-opening of the bird market despite nearly 20 cases within 3km distance and the fact that the proximity of birds to man is many, many times greater than it is at Mai Po.
The bird trade is cruel and dangerous. In such circumstances, notions of local heritage and culture, and the livelihoods of a relatively small group of old men should take a back seat. The HKBWS should be at the forefront of a campaign to ban it.
