The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced on February 16 that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Sevilla Province of Andalucía and Valladolid Province of Castilla y Leon in Spain and Hants County of Nova Scotia Province in Canada, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 860 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 1.78 million poultry eggs from Spain, and about 1,020 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat from Canada last year.

"The CFS has contacted the Spanish and Canadian authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.