Taiwan is to lift its ban on the marketing of groupers today, a week after one sample was tested positive for a cancer-causing chemical while 14 other samples were found to have been tainted.
Hong Kong is Taiwan's major export market for grouper, with an annual value of NT$800 million ($188 million).
But exporters of the fish need to obtain health certificates showing the fish has tested clear of malachite green, which could cause liver cancer, said Taiwan's fishery officials.
The officials were referring to the measure recently introduced by Taiwan's Fishery Department that each grouper must carry a health certificate issued by qualified inspection centres showing it is free of malachite green after the health and fishery authorities made known their findings last week over their inspection of 36 samples.
In addition to the health check, the certificate also provides such information as the breeding location of the groupers and the quality control process of the fish.
'We fully support the Fishery Department's measure as it helps to guarantee that our groupers are safe to consume,' said Chen Yu-min, secretary-general of the Pingtung Aquaculture Development Association, based in southern Taiwan.
