Exported oysters were discarded six times in the United States due to norovirus... No management budget

It was found that there were six cases in which norovirus was found in oysters exported to the United States and all were discarded.

As a result of analyzing data received from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the National Fisheries Quality Management Service on the 11th, Rep. Shin Jang-sik of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, a member of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries committee, found that frozen oysters that had been judged suitable for export inspection were discarded or recalled six times in the United States due to the detection of norovirus.

This is a case that occurred between 2024 and 2025.

According to domestic food standards and specifications, there are no separate norovirus management standards for raw oysters.

Accordingly, the government is mandating hygiene by requiring raw oysters from sea areas where there is a risk of norovirus infection to be labeled as 'for cooking with heat'.

In the United States and the European Union (EU), when norovirus is detected during the quarantine stage, it is immediately recalled and discarded.

In this situation, the government's management budget is shrinking.

Since norovirus in oysters is caused by waste from land flowing into the sea, it must be managed to prevent human waste from entering the sea.

For this purpose, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries is operating a 'project to install public toilets in designated sea areas for shellfish production', and next year's budget is 0 won.

It is 150 million won in 2025, a total decrease from 100 million won this year.

Rep. Shin said, “The budget so far has been minimal, and the budget for installing toilets, the most basic way to block the virus, has been reduced to 0 won,” and added, “We need to establish practical measures.”