KARACHI, Jan 27: The director-general of the marine fisheries department, experts from the Pakistan Council for Science and Industrial Research, the HEJ Institute and two fish processors will investigate the source of chloromphenical contamination.

They will submit their report to a high-level fisheries board, headed by the federal minister of food, agriculture & livestock, some times this month.

The decision was taken on Monday at a meeting held here at the Export Promotion Bureau. EPB Chairman and Minister of State Tariq Ikram presided over the meeting. EPB Vice Chairman Ejaz Qureshi, Karachi Fish Harbour Authority Chairman Commodore Tayyab Naqvi and Seafood Exporters Association Chairman Sardar Hanif Khan also attended the meeting.

Issues, including harvesting season, implementation of rules about nets of banned size, chloromphenicol, sanitary and phyto-sanitary, were discussed in detail. The meeting was of the unanimous view that major opportunities for seafood export were not being properly used.

It was agreed in the meeting that a forum should be formed having appropriate representation of all stakeholders, which would discuss the issues with the stakeholders from other provinces and would come up with recommendations for solution of problems in the seafood sector.

The issue of chloromphenicol was also discussed in detail. Experts from the HEJ institute and the PCSIR were also present in the meeting who gave their opinion on this problem.

The director-general of the marine fisheries department told the participants that they were in the process of procuring latest equipment needed for chloromphenical test.—PPI