To tackle illegal burials and exhumations, the Government is planning to launch a registration system to govern service providers at urn grave cemeteries, Director of Food & Environmental Hygiene Gregory Leung says.

Speaking on radio talkshows today, Mr Leung said that under the proposal those found to have violated the regulations will be punished.

He apologised for mismanagement incidents at some cemeteries, adding the department will conduct a thorough investigation and discipline those responsible.

New measures against poisonings

With rising ciguatoxin poisoning cases this year, Mr Leung said the ciguatoxic marine fish are believed to have come from a new coral reef area.

To contain the problem, the Government is working with the trade to establish a set of voluntary guidelines, in which fish samples have to pass tests before they can be imported. The trade must also maintain a detailed record of the transactions to allow authorities to trace the supply source.

If these voluntary measures fail to contain the problem, the Government will consider amending the law requiring the trade to apply for an import licence and applications from high risk areas will be rejected.