The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 20) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Le Haut-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality and Beauharnois-Salaberry Regional County Municipality of Quebec 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 90 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Canada last year.

"The CFS has contacted the Canadian authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH 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.