Chicken, egg exports blocked after bird flu discovery
Imports of poultry and eggs from Australia have been halted by a Pacific trading partner following the first mainland cases of a deadly strain of bird flu.
Papua New Guinea’s National Agricultural and Quarantine Inspection Authority has recommended the suspension of all poultry products imported from Australia.
The move comes after two seabirds found on a remote Western Australian coast tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus over the weekend.
“The Ministry is actively engaging with PNG to resolve this issue,” the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said in its market access advice update on Tuesday.
Australian chicken meat exports hit a record $133 million in 2023/24, with almost half going to PNG.
Western Australian Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis said there was no evidence of mass deaths among birds after the sick birds were discovered.
More than 100 reports of potentially sick birds have been forwarded to the national hotline since the first H5N1 detection.
Although the poultry and agriculture sectors in Australia are immune from flu, the sector has been put on high alert after cases were confirmed in wild birds.
Leading poultry producer Inghams has since announced it will close its Western Australian facilities to reduce potential risks.
More than 200 million chickens have been culled in the United States since the virus reached the United States.
The department has been contacted for further comment.
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