Hamster｜AFCA said that commercial import restrictions can be lifted and the import of commercial hamsters will resume in the middle of this month

During the epidemic of the Delta mutant strain in January last year, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation banned the import of hamsters for nearly a year because of the suspected reinfection of hamsters to humans.

The Fisheries and Conservation Department stated today (5th) that based on the latest risk assessment and the actual situation, it believes that restrictions on the commercial import of hamsters can be lifted. The Department is communicating with the industry and preparing to resume the commercial import of hamsters around the middle of this month.

▼1.19 "Rat Killing Order" Citizens hand over hamsters to New Territories South Animal Management Center▼

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The Fisheries and Conservation Department stated that in response to the discovery of hamsters in Hong Kong that tested positive for the new coronavirus early last year, it announced on January 18 of the same year that it would ban the commercial import of all small mammals, including hamsters.

Subsequently, according to the results of further risk assessment, the Department has resumed issuing commercial import licenses for all small mammals other than hamsters since May last year.

The authorities announced today that based on the latest risk assessment and the actual situation, it is believed that restrictions on the commercial import of hamsters can be lifted, and the commercial import of hamsters is expected to resume around mid-January.

However, the authorities emphasize that all licensed animal sellers who directly import small mammals (including hamsters) from other places and sell or raise them in licensed premises must have isolation facilities confirmed by the Fisheries and Conservation Department in their licensed premises.

▼On January 19th, the Fisheries and Conservation Department went to Little Boss in Mong Kok for culling and testing▼

The authorities also pointed out that licensed animal sellers must notify the Fisheries and Conservation Department within two working days after the arrival of small mammals, and staff will arrange to collect samples for the relevant imported animals at the premises for testing for the new coronavirus. If the test result is positive, the relevant animals must be quarantined in the above-mentioned isolation facility, and will not be sold until the test result is satisfactory.

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