28 Dec 2010

French Polynesia bans New Zealand oysters

9:27 am on 28 December 2010

French Polynesia's government is maintaining the ban introduced last month on the importing of live oysters from New Zealand.

The restriction follows the outbreak of an incurable oyster herpes virus that has killed off about half the juvenille crop in the upper North Island.

New Zealand oysters are a popular product in French Polynesia over the holiday period.

But only de-shelled oysters, either partially or totally, are currently being allowed in, along with frozen product.

The agriculture minister Frédéric Riveta said one of the reasons as also to protect the local black pearl farming industry against the importation of any potentially devastating disease.

The virus is not dangerous to humans