May 17, 2010
Brunei views Europe as potential shrimp buyer
The Department of Fisheries in Brunei is looking to add Europe as a destination for Brunei's shrimp exports, as the continent boasts a better market for the product.
"The European market is good because
shrimp fetches a high price," said Hajah Hasnah Ibrahim, the Director of Fisheries.
She said that present shrimp production had met food safety and quality standards to export to other countries such as the US, Japan and Korea, but not to Europe. "European standards are very stringent, the toughest in the world," she said.
Hajah Hasnah said that the European Commission's Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) had come to Brunei last year to make inspections. "After their visit, they gave us a number of recommendations and we are now working hard to rectify the gaps," she said, adding that the FVO were expected to make another inspection next year.
The FVO is a service of the European Commission (EC) tasked with ensuring that Community legislation on food safety, animal and plant health, and animal welfare is properly implemented and enforced.
Hajah Hasnah also spoke about a recent trip she had made to Brussels, to attend the European Seafood Exposition, the world's largest seafood fair which attracts buyers and sellers from over around the world and features over 1,600 exhibitors. "Exporting to the EU meant fulfilling a lot of requirements. At the expo, there were all kinds of businesses; small and large, and they have all passed the test (to sell to the EU)," she said. Hajah Hasnah added that she hoped one day a company from Brunei would be among the many exhibitors, displaying quality products.
Increasing exports of fishery products is part of the Brunei's economic growth and diversification plans. The Department of Fisheries has recently completed building a Seafood Storage, Handling and Processing Centre at the Fisheries Landing Complex in Muara, which aims to allow small and medium enterprises to develop and expand into the export market.
