March 1, 2007

EU export restrictions prompts PM visit to Karachi fish harbou

The planned delisting of 10 Pakistani seafood exporters announced by the EU a week ago has prompted a visit by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to the Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA).

The EU, in a meeting last week, has decided to delist 10 Pakistani seafood exporters from its list of approved exporters for its failure to meet quality standards

However, Pakistan's Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock has not yet received formal notice, Secretary of the ministry Ismail Qureshi told local media.

The European Commission had asked Pakistani authorities to comply with the quality standards and other safety protocol of the EU for the resumption of seafood exports, Qureshi added. The European Commission had also pointed out major deficiencies in the entire fishing sector.

The delisting meant that more than a third of the 28 processing units operating in Karachi are now banned from exporting to the EU, one of the world's largest seafood markets.

It is difficult for the Marine Fisheries Department (MFD) to train and create awareness among 5,000 fishermen, said Salim Memon, Secretary Food, Livestock and Fisheries.

However, both the local government and the federal government are working on plans to improve the quality of seafood, he added. Measures include setting up a flake ice plant and a modern electricity generation plant, Qureshi said.

The EU, which accounts for slightly more than half of Pakistan's annual US$128 million in seafood exports, made checks on frozen fish from Pakistan mandatory after a consignment of shrimps was found to be contaminated in 2002.