Papua New Guinea Bans Australian Poultry and Egg Imports Over H5N1 Bird Flu Fears

The move comes after the discovery of the bird flu in seabirds, though Australian officials say the country remains free of the virus in poultry flocks.

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Papua New Guinea (PNG) has banned the import of poultry products and eggs from Australia, citing concerns after H5N1 avian influenza was detected in wild seabirds on the Australian mainland.

The ban, imposed by the National Agriculture and Quarantine Inspection Authority’s (NAQIA), covers poultry meat and poultry products, including eggs and egg products.

The virus was first confirmed in a migratory brown skua in Western Australia after testing by the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness on June 20.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) was notified. It was subsequently found in a second seabird, a giant petrel.

A statement from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries said the detections in wild birds did not change Australia’s status as being free from highly pathogenic avian viruses in poultry under WOAH international standards.

It said Australian officials were engaging with their PNG counterparts following the decision to resolve the issue.

Earlier this week, one of Australia’s largest chicken processors, Ingham’s, put its Western Australian processing plants into lockdown, preventing all non-essential access to its sites as a precautionary measure.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry Julie Collins said H5N1 bird flu is a low health risk to the public as it rarely affects humans unless there is direct and close contact with sick birds.

“Eggs and poultry meat are safe to eat provided they are handled and cooked according to standard food-safety practices,” she said.

Australia’s poultry and prepared poultry exports to Papua New Guinea are valued at approximately A$43.4 million (US$31.6 million) for poultry meat, with an additional $3.4 million in prepared poultry products. That makes the country Australia’s largest overseas customer for poultry products, accounting for around half of Australia’s total exports.

Australia’s poultry sector produces approximately 1.66 million tonnes of poultry meat and around 7 billion eggs annually, with a combined gross value exceeding $5.1 billion.

In 2024–25, the industry slaughtered 752 million chickens, while the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences forecasts that figure will rise to 774 million birds in 2025–26.