Hong Kong's food authorities have basically agreed to resume
imports of freshwater fish from south China's Guangdong Province before Christmas, after
details on the import quality guarantee were settled with the
Guangdong quarantine department here.
Malachite green, a cancer-causing chemical, was found in
freshwater fish exported from China's mainland to HK in August last
year. The chemical had not been put as banned substance in HK
before, according to Hong Kong's Health, Welfare and Food
Bureau.
The bureau reached an agreement with the Guangdong Entry-Exit
Inspection and Quarantine Bureau on the safety requirements of
freshwater fish for supply to Hong Kong on Monday. HK agreed to
resume normal fish imports from Guangdong on Dec. 22, if
preparations by the two sides are done on schedule.
Hong Kong only allowed direct fish imports from several
qualified mainland fish farms, after the harmful substances were
found.
The bureau pledged to give equal treatment to fish products from
China's mainland as those from HK and Southeast Asian
countries.
Meanwhile, the Guangdong side vowed to see to that all aquatic
product exports to HK shall be tagged with proper certificates of
origin.
Malachite green is used to treat fungal infections at fish farms
and has been banned in the Chinese mainland since 2002.
(Xinhua News Agency December 14, 2006)