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The Food Business (Amendment) Regulation 2009 which prohibits the use of seawater from any prohibited area for keeping live seafood will come into effect tomorrow (August 1) in order to better control the source of seawater to protect public health.
The amended regulation provides that no person should extract, supply, deliver and use seawater from a prohibited area for keeping, in the course of food business, any live fish or shellfish that is intended for human consumption.
Offenders will be subject to a maximum penalty of $10,000 and three months' imprisonment.
The prohibited areas include Victoria Harbour, 14 typhoon shelters, areas along the shoreline of Hong Kong Island (including Ap Lei Chau) and along the western shoreline of the New Territories (including Tsing Yi).
Elaborating on the legislative amendment, a spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said that for enhanced protection of public health, it was considered necessary to strengthen the existing regulatory control over the source of fish tank water.
The legislation would also ensure effective coverage of the many different possible parties involved in the supply chain of seawater.
The spokesman reminded the food trade to obtain seawater from reliable sources including:
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* seawater from non-prohibited areas,
* seawater from reliable suppliers, and
* synthetic seawater from marine salt and tap water.
He also urged the trade to properly operate and maintain the filtration and disinfection system of fish tank water to keep the water at a satisfactory standard of E. coli less than 610 per 100ml and without pathogenic organisms.
Ends/Saturday, July 31, 2010
Issued at HKT 15:39
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