January 22, 2007

EU team to inspect Indonesia's fish cultivation centres

A fisheries team from the EU is slated to visit fish cultivation centres in Indonesia this year to see whether the methods employed meet certain standards and are safe for human health, a senior fisheries official said.

The exact date this would be happening is as yet unkown.

If just one region gets a negative evaluation, all cultivated fish exports from Indonesia to the EU risk being embargoed or dropped from the list of cultivated fish suppliers, Prof Dr Martani, director general of fishery product processing and marketing at the Marine Resources and Fisheries ministry, said.

Martani called on all parties to prepare themselves well for the EU team's inspection.

A draft ministerial regulation providing for measures to detect chemcial residues , biological and pollutant substances on cultivated fish products has been drawn up since antbiotic residue was found on a fishery product from Indonesia last year.

Regulations to guarantee the quality and safety of cultivated fish products at the stages of production, processing, distribution and technical guidelines to guarantee quality and safety have also been made.