ISLAMABAD, Sept 17 : Japan is likely to ban import of fishmeal from Pakistan objecting to what Tokyo believes to be the below standard quality of recent consignments.

Well-placed sources told Dawn on Wednesday a warning of the impending ban has already been received by Pakistan in the shape of rejection of three successive consignments of Pakistani fish by Japanese authorities owing to its below standard quality during the last four months.

Pakistan’s export of fish and fish preparations to Japan stood at more than $16 million last year. There is potential to increase the volume of fishmeal export to Japan provided corrective measures are taken by the government ensuring the quality of fishmeal, sources said.

Fishmeal is one of the main items of Pakistan’s export to Japan. The Japanese quarantine requirements permit the import of only that fishmeal, which is produced on dedicated plants, where no animal origin other than fish protein is used.

To come up with the requirement, every consignment of this product from Pakistan is accompanied by a certificate from the Marine Fisheries Department, Karachi, certifying that the consignment contains 100 per cent fish and is produced on a processing plant dedicated only to fishmeal production.

The sources said all the three consignments so far rejected by the Japanese authorities were duly certified by the Marine Fisheries Department.

The sources said that despite the repeated request of the Pakistani mission in Tokyo to investigate the matter, the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) and Ministry of Commerce have not yet ascertained the facts about these three rejected consignments to take up the issue with the Japanese authorities.

According to an official letter sent by Pakistan’s ambassador to Japan, a copy of which was made available to Dawn, the envoy feared there was a likelihood that Pakistan fishmeal would lose the Japanese market. This would have a negative impact on the already declining exports to Japan, he said.

The envoy further said the repeated instances of ‘apparently false certificates’ cast doubt on the credibility of the the government agencies.

The Japanese ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries suspended the import of fishmeal from M/s Najeeb Bone Mills in May 2003 on the charges that the fishmeal contain processed protein originating from cattle and hair. The consignment was accompanied by the requisite certification from Marine Fisheries Department. In June 2003, the Japanese authorities suspended the import of fishmeal from M/s Kanpa International Sales because of the same charges.

Similarly, in July fishmeal import from a third Pakistani company, M/s Cordial Trading Corporation was also suspended almost on the same charges.