ISLAMABAD, May 23: The European Commission has asked Islamabad to work out an effective strategy latest by June 10 that could ensure quality and standards of seafood under food safety act of the European Union or face a complete ban on export of the commodity to EU states.
Well-placed sources told Dawn on Monday that the warning came from the EC following the report of the EU technical team that visited Karachi fish harbour’s auction areas, trollers, fishing vessels, landing sites and chilling rooms during the period from January 25 to February 2, 2005.
The team in its report suggested that from the catching to processing of fish no proper standards had been maintained by the seafood industries in Pakistan, which they termed, might result in health hazards for the consumers.
The EU had already temporary banned the import of all kinds of seafood from Pakistan since February 2005, the sources said and added this temporary suspension could be converted into a complete ban by the EU if Pakistan failed to give some concrete assurance in this regard.
The ministry of food, agriculture and livestock (Minfal), the Sindh government and the Fishermen Cooperative Society (FCS) had never taken the issue seriously. The EU in 2001 had also communicated to Minfal for improving the standards and quality of seafood but the ministry had not taken the issue seriously, the sources claimed.
With this suspension it is likely that Pakistan may miss the target of $175 million set for the export of fish and fish preparations to EU member countries during the current fiscal year. The total export of fish during the year 2003-04 stood at $153 million.
In a letter to the commerce ministry a leading exporter of seafood says: “We have not finalized contracts with any other countries/origins and this is heavily compromising our business activity. We now face the big problem that we can not honour the engagements with our clients and have no alternative to propose.”
The letter further says that the EU market will look for other origins for import and it will be very difficult for Pakistani exporters to re-enter the European market.
Pakistan exported mainly seafood to EU member countries — Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Greece, Irish Republic, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands and Denmark.
The FCS had already banned the use of wicker baskets by replacing them with foreign made plastic crates to abide by the conditions imposed by the EU under what is known as Codex Alimentarious Standards, a joint food standard programme of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization.
The annual average seafood catch in Pakistan amounts to about 800,000 tons. Of these, 35 per cent is consumed locally while a similar quantity is used in the preparation of fishmeal for the local poultry industry. Only 10 to 13 per cent of the catch is exported to three major international markets –- the European Union, Japan and the United States.
A commerce ministry official told Dawn that a summary envisaging corrective measures had been worked out in collaboration with Minfal, which would be approved by the Economic Coordination Committee of the cabinet in its meeting on May 26.
The measures would be implemented shortly after the approval for lifting of ban on export of fish to EU member countries, added the official.