China will impose new restrictions on imports of Norwegian salmon due to Beijing's worries that the fish may carry disease, according to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.
The authority said on Wednesday that the fish was safe but China would halt imports from March 23 of whole salmon from the northern counties of South Tronderlag, Nordland and Troms, which accounted for about a fifth of Norway's exports last year.
For fish from other areas, China would demand certificates from April 18 that the fish were free from pancreas disease and viruses that could cause infectious salmon anaemia (ISA), it said. The authority said it had several times sent information to China to back up Norway's view that it followed international veterinary guidelines for fish exports. Last September, China also imposed restrictions on some salmon imports.
"We believe there is no danger to Chinese salmon of infection with the ISA virus because fish products from Norway go directly to consumption," the authority said, adding "the ISA virus is not dangerous for people".
China and Norway's relations have been frosty since a Norwegian committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 to dissident Liu Xiaobo .