February 25, 2007	Sunday	Safar 7, 1428

KARACHI, Feb 24: Secretary Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) Ismail Qureshi has said that despite all the efforts to satisfy the EU inspectors during their January visit to fish processing units, they had pointed out major deficiencies in the entire fishing sector.

He said that the deficiencies pointed out by the EU team require an in-depth review of all the aspects and there is a need to make a strategy which will be in the best interest of the fishing industry.

This was disclosed by Mohammad Hanif, chairman Pakistan Seafood Industries Association (PSIA), who met the secretary Minfal in Islamabad on Saturday.

According to PSIA chairman the Minfal official said that he had not received any report from the European Commission in which fish processing units (exporters) in Pakistan had been de-listed from the EU approved list.

He said that the secretary had assured the fishing industry of taking all possible steps in resolving the issues.

Hanif Khan told the Minfal official that the root cause of the problem faced by the fishing industry was shortage of raw material due to netting of trash fish, obsolete fishing fleet, congestion at Karachi Fish Harbor.