The municipality also instructed the customers in the market not buy birds without certificates that clearly mention their owners.
Sharjah Municipality launched a campaign to crackdown on illegal traders selling birds in the market, especially the ornamental ones.
The municipality swooped down on the birds market after receiving a number of complaints about proliferation of illegal bird sellers who come from outside the UAE and do not obtain licence or own shops in the market, an official said.
Inspections were carried out to ensure verification of official documents and invoices that should be handed over to the bird’s buyer during the time of its purchase. The municipality also instructed the customers in the market not to buy birds without certificates that clearly mention their owners.
“The documents that confirm ownership of the seller of the bird are important. If the seller doesn’t comply with the rules, he exposes himself to a legal question, especially when the birds are stolen,” the municipality official said, adding the workers in the market should also abide by these rules.
He stressed that it is not permissible to buy a bird without the identity papers and invoices presented by the owner. These certificates or papers must include the name and telephone number of the bird’s owner.
He said that the municipality obliges the workers in the market to sell according to the documents and certificates. He warned them against any sale without obtaining the required documents. “The violators will face hefty fines and their business will be suspended,” he pointed out.
He said a number of complaints have been received at the municipality about illegal bird sellers. They sell the birds cheaper than the ones in the market, affecting the business of those who own shops and run the business legally.
The municipality, represented by the veterinary services department, has tightened its noose on birds market. It ensures that the bird being sold at the market is free of diseases and its sale is not banned in the country. The municipality conducts continuous inspection visits to the shops in the market to ensure compliance with the requirements of the trade, in addition to the commitment to hygiene on the premises.
The municipality carries out periodical checks in the birds market. Veterinarians are permanently deployed there during the morning and evening hours to ensure that traders and shops comply with the norms set by the municipality to maintain public health.
Stolen birds sold for Dh800
Sharjah criminal court is currently hearing a case of an Asian who was arrested by police for stealing birds from a villa close to where he was working as a construction worker. The accused came to the birds market and sold the stolen birds for Dh800.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com
Source : The Khaleej Times
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