Press Releases

Mainland provides first batch of registered freshwater fish farms

A spokesman for the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau said today (August 29) that the Government had received a list of the first batch of registered freshwater fish farms for supply to Hong Kong.

The list included 18 registered farms which were located in Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Shunde, etc. The Government would make available information of other freshwater fish farms as soon as possible.

The spokesman said: "We have informed the trade of the list. They can contact the farms directly for arrangements of importing freshwater fish and aquatic products.

"Both the Mainland and Hong Kong authorities are very concerned about the safety of freshwater fish for supply to Hong Kong. Officials have held discussion on how to strengthen the inspection and quarantine. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department had met with the Shenzhen and Guangdong Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureaux respectively to discuss the safety issues of freshwater fish for supply to Hong Kong."

Hong Kong officials also visited a fish farm in Zhongshan today to see for themselves the monitoring procedures there.

Regarding the supply of freshwater fish from the Mainland, the spokesman explained that the Mainland has not suspended the supply to Hong Kong.

"According to our understanding, the Mainland has supply of freshwater fish at the moment. If there is market demand in Hong Kong, the Mainland farms are ready to meet our demand on freshwater fish," the spokesman added.



Ends/Monday, August 29, 2005
Issued at HKT 21:51

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