District, Municipal and Metropolitan Assemblies have been admonished to enforce stricter by-laws that would compel all livestock to be slaughtered under hygienic conditions at Abattoirs to ensure proper handling of meat and the safety of consumers.

Mr Mathew Nyindam, Member of Parliament for Kpandai, who gave the advice also called for the formulation of by-laws to regulate the indiscriminate killing of pregnant animals to protect younger species as a means of sustaining efforts at meeting the Country's nutritional needs.

The MP who is also a member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs And other members of that committee had paid a courtesy call on Ms. Mavis Frimpong, the Eastern Regional Minister in Koforidua to discuss matters relating to the outbreak of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) in the Country.

The group also toured the Koforidua Abattoir and met some poultry farmers on their farms.

Mr Nyindam, indicated that the bye-laws should make it compulsory for all female animals to be tested for pregnancy to ascertain their status before they are killed expressing worry over their indiscriminate killing.

He admitted that though the issue needed the formulation of a national policy to deal with, it was within the Assemblies' remit to enact by-laws in their respective areas ahead of the national policy.

The MP called for the immediate expansion of the Koforidua Abattoir to facilitate the enforcement of the by-laws.

The select committee was in Koforidua, to monitor the disbursement of a contingency fund released to facilitate the prevention of the contagious avian flu Disease.