The European Union (EU) is expected to impose complete ban on the import of Pakistani seafood to member countries from Karachi fish harbour within a few months due to non-implementation of EU recommendations regarding the fish harbour, fish industry sources said on Saturday. They said that inspectors' team of European Union's Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) comprising four members Rui Space Ludovino, Eva Bencini, Paulo Luciano and Reinhard Riener recently visited Karachi fish harbour.
Sources said that EU inspectors were not satisfied with the hygienic conditions at Karachi fish harbour. The EU inspectors said they would not accept import of seafood from Karachi fish harbour's present system of fish catching and landing on the floor. Due to this, the Marine Fisheries Department (MFD) has also stopped issuing quality certificate for export of seafood to EU countries.
Marine Fisheries Department (MFD) is a competent authority of EU here in Pakistan to check observance of EU rules. Sources said that the job of European Union (EU) of Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) inspection mission is to re-assess the quality of seafood production and packaging.
The EU inspection mission had visited KFH from January 25 to Feb 2, 2005, they added.
They said the EU mission evaluated whether the fish and fish products being exported to EU countries were meeting the requirements of Council Directive of the Union.
The evaluation covered the entire fisheries products processing, including production chain, vessels, landing areas, auctions system, establishment, potable water, ice facilities, shrimp peeling facilities, and surrounding environ.
They said that the mission found some deficiencies such as a bird was found at an auction hall; bad kind of fish was found in a chiller room; oil was seen at fishing boats along with seafood; there was lack of bathrooms and dirty wash basins were found at fishing boats, etc.
Sources said that after the visit of EU delegation the export of seafood from Pakistan to European countries has been stopped due to unhygienic conditions and not implementing the EU rules at the harbour.
The EU mission also checked the condition of fresh fish on different fishing boats and found that these were not fresh, sources said.
According to sources, the EU delegation said that the voyage of catching seafood should be reduced from 12 days to 3 days so as to maintain freshness of the seafood.
They said that as a result of the visit there has been no export of seafood to EU countries for more than 20 days.
The EU mission was also critical of congestion of fishing boats at the harbour, sources said. It said that registration of new fishing boats should be reduced at harbour. At present, more than 4000 different kinds of fishing boats can be seen at the harbour which creates congestion. The EU mission was also not satisfied with the condition of fish holds in the fishing boats.
According to EU recommendations pan chewing is not allowed in the premises of harbour; smoking is not allowed in the auction halls, but people are seen smoking. Flake ice should be used at fishing boats but block ice is being used at harbour. Plastic crates should be used in auction halls and fishing boats, and birds nest should not be allowed in the auction halls.
Sources said that Fishermen's Co-operative Society and Karachi Fisheries Harbour Authority are not implementing EU recommendations and if Sindh Fisheries Agriculture Department and KFHA would not take the matter seriously then a ban by EU on import of Pakistani seafood is likely.
They said that on dissatisfaction of the EU mission the MFD gave a suggestion to Sindh Fisheries Department to build a separate 'EU corridor' where new auction hall should be built, modern cranes should be installed, landing should not be allowed on the floor of auction hall, and flake ice should be used. The EU corridor should be used exclusively for seafood export to EU countries.
Sources said that if the Sindh Fisheries Department wants to prevent the ban it should take action as soon as possible without wasting time.
MFD also gave another suggestion to build 40 Hilla fishing boats to be used for catching fresh fish according to the EU requirement. These boats would go for catching fish only for three to four days and the catch of these fishing boats would be fresh and would be acceptable to EU countries, according to EU mission.
Sources said that Karachi Fisheries Harbour Authority (KFHA) and Fishermen's Co-operative Society (FCS) should seriously implement MFD's suggestions.
They said that the EU mission will again come here soon to check the EU corridor.
Sources said that the EU mission was satisfied with the condition of EU approved fish processing plant at the harbour.
Managing Director of KFHA Dr Nawaz Baloch said that he would try to implement the EU rules at the whole fish harbour.
Some EU approved fish plants owners requested the President and Prime Minister to save the fishing industry from disaster situation. They said that on one side the government wants to attract foreign investor and on the other the local investors are upset at fish harbour.