Papua New Guinea (PNG) has reversed its decision to suspend the importation of Australia poultry and eggs following the detection of the H5N1 virus in wild birds in Australia.
On Monday, PNG’s National Agriculture and Quarantine Inspection Authority advised it would stop buying Australian chicken products, including eggs and egg products.
But in a press conference this afternoon federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the PNG government had paused its trade restrictions, with a number of exemptions.
“We will continue to work with them on this and we appreciate Papua New Guinea’s willingness to work cooperatively and remove some of these restrictions,” she said during a press conference.
The ABC understands exports of poultry meat and eggs to PNG can continue, but restrictions will apply to products sourced from free-range hens produced in Western Australia.
Australia retains most of its chicken and eggs for domestic consumption, with 1.4 million tonnes producer in Australia during 2024-25.
PNG is Australia’s largest overseas customer, taking about half of Australia’s total exports.
Australian chicken meat exports reached a record $133 million in 2023-24, mainly going to the Pacific and South East Asia. Australian eggs and egg product exports totalled $15.76 million for the 2022-23 financial year.
Ms Collins said Australian chicken eggs and meat remained “perfectly safe” to eat.
“There’s no evidence of it in our poultry or agricultural systems and, as we’ve heard — and it’s very clear at the moment — there’s no mass mortalities or any evidence of it spreading into Australian wildlife at this stage,” she said.
Changing fortunes
The news of the latest case came during a media event, when it was revealed a third confirmed case of H5 bird flu had been found in a migratory bird on Australia’s southern coast.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said a giant petrel was found with the infection at Knights Beach on the Fleurieu Peninsula.
He said two sick birds came into the care of a wildlife rescue group on June 14.
It comes after two wild birds found near Esperance in WA tested positive to the devastating strain of avian influenza and other dead birds found in South Australia and WA were being tested.
Australian company Ingham’s has put its WA chicken processing plants into lockdown. (ABC News: Stephanie Chalmers)
The Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness confirmed the detection of H5N1 avian influenza in Australia on Friday.
This week one of Australia’s largest chicken processors, Ingham’s, locked down its WA plants, preventing all non-essential access to its sites after the detection.
According to DAFF, the detection in wild birds does not change Australia’s current high pathogen avian influenza (HPAI)-free status and authorities say there is no evidence bird flu has spread or is established on Australian shores.
“We remain free from HPAI in poultry in accordance with World Organisation for Animal Health international standards,” the department said in its advice.
Earlier today, Australian Chicken Meat Federation chief executive May Wu said she was not yet in a position to comment on the PNG export ban.
