KARACHI, Oct 9: The Sindh government has approved more funds for the renovation of Karachi Fish Harbour and the upgrading of fishing boats to meet the European Union’s (EU) standards.

The provincial government had approved Rs290.271 million in the Annual Development Plan (ADP) 2007-08 but the same has been enhanced to Rs510 million in the new plan, official sources said.

The need to provide more funds was necessitated from the fact that the Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) has to share more cost in upgrading of boats and induct some equipments to meet the standards, sources said.

Sources said that after enhancement of funds by the government the KFHA and boat owners will now have to work on war footing to comply with the EU standards so that seafood exports to Europe could resume.

The EU inspection team visited the Karachi fish Harbour in late January 2007, and found out some serious deficiencies in handling and storage of catch in fishing boats which result in contamination.

The unhygienic conditions of some seafood processing plants were taken seriously by the team members, which resulted in blacklisting of 11 units and ultimately in April 2007 a ban was imposed on import of seafood from Pakistan.

The KHFA could not utilise much of the funds approved in ADP of 2007-08 because boat owners did not agree with the 50:50 sharing formula for the modification of fishing boats.

After long negotiations stretching over a period of seven to eight months between the KFHA and boat owners the cost sharing formula for upgrading boats was revised to 75:25. This means that boat owners would now contribute 25 per cent of the total cost for boat modification and the Sindh government will bear 75 per cent, official sources said.

Among major objections raised by the EU’s inspection team was the direct contact of fish catch with wooden floor of the boat, which results in contamination.

The KFHA on the advice of Marine Fisheries Department (MFD) has started putting fiberglass or stainless steel sheet lining on large and medium size boats having fish hold and tanks.

Managing director KFHA Aijaz Ahmed Mangi said that up-till-now seven large and 35 medium-size boats have been modified as per the EU standards. Similarly, he said that 21 small boats of Shams Peer, which were without fish holds or tanks, are being provided with two IPC boxes and four plastic fish crates each free of cost.

He further said that 170 small boats of Bhit Island were being provided with one IPC box and two plastic fish crates each under the modification programme.