‘Wet market’ slaughters fresh poultry on the spot

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HONG KONG » Irena Ho was busy slaughtering a chicken for a customer at a so-called "wet market" owned by her mother, but paused to talk to visitors.

"I'm 53 years old; I can't find other jobs. I'm getting old. I'm happy with this job," she said through an interpreter.

About 150 chickens, as well as pigeons, were displayed for sale behind plastic screens so customers could not touch them.

Ho said she worked in a factory before joining the family business. Her mother, Yan Heung Wong, has been in the retail poultry business about 30 years, including 10 years at that location, she said.

Many fresh poultry markets have closed because of avian flu and tightened standards, said health inspector S.T. Tong. He said he had charge of seven markets.

"This is not the best design, but it's a really good market."

It is separate from other floors in the building housing vegetable, meat and fish markets, he pointed out. It has an air-conditioning system, ultraviolet purified air to keep it sanitary, high pressure water jets to clean the tile floors and a hand-sanitizer.

Wet markets must close two days a month to break virus cycles. All live birds must be slaughtered on "rest days" and the markets cleaned and restocked, Tong said.

Fecal samples are taken regularly by agricultural, fishery and conservation workers, he said. If the H5N1 avian virus is found in two markets, he said, all poultry in Hong Kong will be killed.

Ho said she has two daughters and one son but is not encouraging them to join the family market. "No, no, don't work here," she laughed.