Date of issue: 20 April 2018
Date of effect: 18 April 2018
Reference Number: MAA2018-04
Attention:
Industries — Seafood
Export seafood establishments
Licensed exporters
Tasmanian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources—Central and Regional offices
Purpose
To notify exporters of resumed market access to Hong Kong for raw oysters and shellfish from Blackman Bay harvest area, Tasmania. This advice replaces MAA 2017-06 issued on 27 September 2017.
Summary of key points
Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department placed an import ban on raw oysters and shellfish harvested from the Blackman Bay harvest area on 22 September 2017.
The department has been advised by CFS that the import ban on raw oysters and shellfish from Blackman Bay has been lifted as of 18 April 2018. The department has resumed issuing export certification for raw oysters and shellfish harvested from Blackman Bay on or after this date to Hong Kong.
CFS has advised that the initial consignment sourced from Blackman Bay will be subject to paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) hold and test regime.
If necessary, the department will advise industry of any further developments through another market access advice.
Background
The CFS ban followed the detection of paralytic shellfish toxin (PST) levels above regulatory limits during routine monitoring activities conducted by the Tasmanian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program (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 2017 to 22 September 2017 was recalled.
A shipment of pacific oysters subject to the recall was exported to Hong Kong. The import ban was implemented by the CFS as a response to this recall notification.
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.