Date of issue: 27/09/2017
Date of effect: 22/09/2017
Reference Number: MAA 2017 - 06
Attention:
- Industries—Seafood
- Export establishments approved to prepare oysters for export
- Tasmanian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program (TSQAP)
Purpose
The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (the department) has been advised by Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) that an immediate import ban has been implemented for molluscs and shellfish produced in Blackman Bay lease area 44. The effect of this is that no bivalve molluscs (Pacific oysters) harvested from the Blackman Bay harvest area, Tasmania, on or after 22 September 2017 can be exported to Hong Kong until further notice.
This ban will remain in place regardless of the status of the harvest area. The department will provide further advice to industry of any changes to these requirements.
Background
The CFS ban follows the detection of paralytic shellfish toxin (PST) levels above regulatory limits during routine monitoring activities conducted by TSQAP. Following this detection, the harvest area was immediately closed by the TSQAP Manager and product harvested from this area during the period 12 September to 22 September 2017 was recalled.
A shipment of pacific oysters subject to the recall was exported to Hong Kong. The import ban has been implemented by the CFS as a response to this recall notification.
Further information
Contact Exports if you have any queries.
The information provided in this advice is current at the time of writing and is intended for use as guidance only and should not be taken as definitive or exhaustive. The Commonwealth endeavours to keep information current and accurate, however, it may be subject to change without notice. Exporters are encouraged to verify these details with their importers prior to undertaking production/exports. The Commonwealth will not accept liability for any loss resulting from reliance on information contained in this notice.