A spokesman for Hong Kong's Health, Welfare and Food Bureau said Monday that the HK government had received a list of the first batch of registered freshwater fish farms for supply to Hong Kong.

The list included 18 registered farms which were located in Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Shunde and some other places.

He said the government would make available information of other freshwater fish farms as soon as possible.

The spokesman said: "we have informed the trade of the list. They can contact the farms directly for arrangements of importing freshwater fish and aquatic products.

"Both the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong authorities are very concerned about the safety of freshwater fish for supply to Hong Kong. Officials have held discussion on how to strengthen the inspection and quarantine."

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department had met with the Shenzhen and Guangdong Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureaus respectively to discuss the safety issues of freshwater fish for supply to Hong Kong, according to the spokesman.

Hong Kong officials also visited a fish farm in Zhongshan on Monday to see for themselves the monitoring procedures there.

"According to our understanding, the Chinese mainland has supply of freshwater fish at the moment. If there is market demand in Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland farms are ready to meet our demand on freshwater fish," the spokesman added.

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government has been working to restore consumer confidence in freshwater fish and revitalize the market in the wake of the malachite green scare.

Source: Xinhua