Sales of freshwater fish have plunged by 30% following an outbreak of Invasive Group B Streptococcus in the city. This decline comes after 70 reported infections, including three fatalities among individuals with pre-existing health conditions, according to the Centre for Health Protection.
Fish stall operators have noted a significant drop in business. Tang, a vendor at Tai Yuen Market in Tai Po, stated that he has cut back on his stock but believes the downturn will be temporary, as customers will likely return to buying freshwater fish soon. Health authorities have urged vendors to wear gloves when handling fish and advised consumers to avoid undercooked freshwater fish.
Another stall operator at Shek Wu Hui Market in Sheung Shui has also observed fewer customers, although sales improved slightly during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Steven Ho Chun-yin, a lawmaker in the Agriculture and Fisheries sector, expressed optimism that public confidence in freshwater fish will be restored within one to two months. He emphasized the importance of the fishery industry in Hong Kong, noting that most fish ponds are part of an accredited scheme that prevents the sale of infected fish.
Despite the outbreak affecting freshwater fish, the sales of seafood overall have also declined due to public concern. However, Yeung Wai-sing, chairman of the Association for Hong Kong Catering Services Management, indicated that many restaurants do not serve freshwater fish, so the impact on the catering sector has been minimal.
Consumers are encouraged to choose locally farmed fish, which are fresher and have shorter transport times, reducing the risk associated with long-distance shipping.
淡水魚銷售因細菌爆發下跌30%
因為城市內爆發入侵性B群鏈球菌，淡水魚的銷售量已下跌30%。這一下跌發生在70宗感染報告之後，包括三名有基礎疾病的患者不幸去世，據衛生防護中心所述。
魚檔經營者已注意到生意大幅下滑。位於大圍的太元市場的攤販唐先生表示，他已經減少了存貨，但相信這一下滑是暫時的，因為顧客很快會恢復購買淡水魚。他還提到，衛生當局已經提醒攤販在處理魚類時要戴手套，並建議消費者避免食用未熟透的淡水魚。
位於上水的石湖墟市場的另一位攤販也注意到顧客減少，儘管在中秋節期間銷售略有回升。
農業及漁業界立法會議員何俊賢表示，他對公眾對淡水魚的信心能在一至兩個月內恢復持樂觀態度。他強調漁業在香港的重要性，並指出大多數魚塘參加了認可計劃，這確保了如果檢測到感染的魚不會被出售。
儘管這次爆發影響了淡水魚的銷售，但由於公眾的擔憂，海鮮的銷售也受到影響。然而，香港餐飲業管理協會主席楊偉成表示，許多餐廳並不出售淡水魚，因此對餐飲業的影響較小。
消費者被鼓勵選擇本地養殖的魚類，因為這些魚新鮮且運輸時間較短，可以降低長途運輸帶來的風險。
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