The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited relating to phishing instant messages, which have been reported to the HKMA. A hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website.
      
     The HKMA wishes to remind the public that banks will not send SMS or emails with embedded hyperlinks which direct them to the banks' websites to carry out transactions. They will not ask customers for sensitive personal information, such as login passwords or one-time password, by phone, email or SMS (including via embedded hyperlinks).
      
     Anyone who has provided his or her personal information, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the instant messages concerned, should contact the bank using the contact information provided in the press release, and report the matter to the Police by contacting the Crime Wing Information Centre of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.

    The Home Affairs Department will continue to open 19 community halls/community centres as temporary heat shelters today (August 26).

     The temporary heat shelters will remain open for people to take refuge from the heat when the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force. From 10.30pm to 8am the next day, the temporary heat shelters will also provide bedding and a sleeping place for people in need. The shelters are manned by duty attendants.

     For further information, please call the department's hotline before midnight on 2572 8427.

     The heat shelters are located at:

Hong Kong Island:
———————

Central and Western –
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun

Eastern –
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay

Southern –
Lei Tung Community Hall
Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau

Wan Chai –
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai

Kowloon Districts:
——————

Kowloon City –
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom

Kwun Tong –
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin

Sham Shui Po –
Shek Kip Mei Community Hall
G/F, Block 42, Shek Kip Mei Estate, Sham Shui Po

Wong Tai Sin –
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan

Yau Tsim Mong –
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei

New Territories Districts:
————————–

Islands –
Tung Chung Community Hall
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building, 39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung

Kwai Tsing –
Kwai Shing Community Hall
Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung

North –
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling

Sai Kung –
Hang Hau Community Hall
G/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex, 38 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O
 
Sha Tin –
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
 
Tai Po –
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
 
Tsuen Wan –
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan
 
Tuen Mun –
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun
 
Yuen Long –
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long
 
Yuen Long –
Tin Yiu Community Centre
Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shui Wai

     In addition to the above heat shelters, a number of community halls/community centres can also be used for taking refuge from the heat during their operating hours. For their address details, please browse the following document: www.had.gov.hk/file_manager/en/documents/public_services/emergency_services/List_CH_CC_Day_E.pdf.

     The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today (August 26) with the Hong Kong Fishermen Consortium (HKFC) to launch a commercially operating aquaculture trial project at the modern mariculture demonstration farm at the Tung Lung Chau fish culture zone.
      
     An AFCD spokesman said, "Developing deep sea mariculture is one of the key measures of the Blueprint for the Sustainable Development of Agriculture and Fisheries. To this end, the Department will launch a commercially operating aquaculture trial project at the Tung Lung Chau modern mariculture demonstration farm at the Tung Lung Chau fish culture zone. This project, which will operate on a commercialised, high value-added and sustainable aquaculture model, will use modern equipment, conduct trials with new aquaculture technologies, provide training for local fishermen, etc."
      
     The 18-month commercially operating aquaculture trial project will be implemented by a suitable local aquaculture production unit commissioned by the HKFC. A local academic institution will be invited to act as the project consultant, which will be responsible for collecting aquaculture and economic data, as well as providing training for local fishermen and developing a standard operating manual. The HKFC will formulate a clear selection mechanism to ensure a fair, impartial and transparent selection process when commissioning the local aquaculture production unit.
      
     Through a partnership, the AFCD will collaborate with the HKFC to foster industry development, enhance functions of fisheries organisations, share the benefits of intensification with fishermen and strengthen their role in the future of Hong Kong's fisheries development.
      
     To guide the local mariculture industry to adopt modern and sustainable operation, the AFCD established a modern mariculture demonstration farm at the Tung Lung Chau fish culture zone in 2021. The demonstration farm has adopted a semi-submersible steel truss cage farm design that can withstand strong wind, waves and ocean currents and is durable. Equipped with modernised technology and management, such as a real-time surveillance system, a real-time water quality monitoring system, an automated feeding system, a solar and wind power generation system, the demonstration farm can operate in the open sea with better water exchange on a larger scale and increase production capacity.

      

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (August 26) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Morbihan Department in France, and outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in ÅšwiebodziÅ„ski District of Lubuskie Region in Poland and Hillsborough County of the State of Florida in the United States (US), the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 830 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 110 000 poultry eggs from France, about 1 620 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Poland, and about 40 950 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 13.86 million poultry eggs from the US in the first six months of this year.

     "The CFS has contacted the French, Polish and American authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.

     In response to the Japanese Government's plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
      
     For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
      
     As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor and step up the testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
      
     From noon on August 23 to noon today (August 26), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 429 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the "aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt" category, in the past three days (including last Saturday and Sunday). No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS's thematic website titled "Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan" (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).

     In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 150 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD's website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
      
     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO's website
     (www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
      
     From August 24, 2023, to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 79 420 samples of food imported from Japan (including 50 935 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 18 300 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests.