Date of issue: 14 June 2022
Date of effect: Immediate
Reference Number: MAA2022-10
Related: N/A
Attention
- Industries—Industry bodies - Seafood Export Consultative Committee
- Export establishments
- Exporters
- Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment - Central and Regional offices
Purpose
This Market Access Advice (MAA) is to advise industry of a temporary import suspension imposed by Hong Kong authorities on raw pacific oysters harvested from Coffin Bay, South Australia. The import suspension will be in place until further notice.
Summary of key points
- Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety has imposed an import suspension of raw oysters harvested from Coffin Bay, South Australia while it continues to assess the situation following a recall notification of November 2021.
- Hong Kong will not accept raw oysters harvested from Coffin Bay. Consignments will be rejected.
- The department is working with the Hong Kong authorities to restore market access for raw oysters harvested from the Coffin Bay.
- An additional market access advice will be issued to notify industry once the market access issue has been resolved.
Background
- On 16 November 2021, oyster growing area in Coffin Bay, South Australia were closed for both domestic and export harvesting due to an epidemiological link to increased food borne illness cases due to Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) associated with consumption of raw Pacific oysters (Magallana gigas) harvested from the area.
- A recall notification was issued for raw pacific oysters harvested from Coffin Bay between 4 September 2021 and 16 November 2021. Affected export trading partners were notified of the recall.
- The Port Douglas harvest area within Coffin Bay was re-opened for export (including resumption of export certification) on 15 April 2022 following the verification by the department that enhanced Vp control measures had been implemented.
- From 28 April 2022, the department notified affected trading partners, including Hong Kong, of the reopening of Port Douglas harvest area export.
Further information
Contact exportstandards@awe.gov.au 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.