The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (April 11) that in view of a notification from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Regional Municipality of Waterloo of ontario Province in Canada, and a notification from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Aomori Prefecture in Japan, 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 1,020 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat from Canada and about 40 tonnes of chilled poultry meat, about 3,240 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 286.19 million poultry eggs from Japan last year.

"The CFS has contacted the Canadian and Japanese 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.