Date of issue: 19 August 2022
Date of effect: Immediate
Reference Number: MAA2022-14
Related: MAA2022-10
Attention
- Industries—Industry bodies - Seafood Export Consultative Committee
- Export establishments
- Exporters
- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Central and Regional offices
Purpose
This Market Access Advice (MAA) is to advise industry of resumed access to Hong Kong for raw pacific oysters harvested from Port Douglas harvest area within the Coffin Bay growing area, South Australia.
Summary of key points
- Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety (CFS) imposed an import suspension on raw pacific oysters harvested from Coffin Bay, South Australia following a recall notification in November 2021.
- The department has been advised that CFS have lifted this import suspension as of 17 August 2022. Export of raw oysters harvested from Port Douglas harvest area, Coffin Bay to Hong Kong may now resume.
Background
- On 16 November 2021, oyster growing areas 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 Port Douglas harvest area, Coffin Bay between 4 September 2021 and 16 November 2021. Affected export trading partners including Hong Kong were notified of the recall.
- An import suspension was imposed by CFS following this recall notification. However, the department was not advised of the suspension until 22 April 2022, following resumption of export harvesting operations from Port Douglas harvest area, Coffin Bay on 14 April 2022.
- Following the submission of additional information on completion of the recall and Vp controls in Coffin Bay harvest areas, CFS has advised on 18 August 2022 that the import suspension of oysters from Port Douglas harvest area, Coffin Bay has been lifted with effect from 17 August 2022.
Further information
Contact exportstandards@aff.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.