October 26, 2007

Pakistan's seafood exporters want faster inspection for air-flown fish

Pakistan's exporters shipping seafood by air are having problems gaining the necessary certification from authorities, according to the Daily Times, a newspaper in Pakistan. 

Exporters charged that new policies from the Marine Fisheries Department (MFD) are creating unnecessary obstacles to the issuance of health certificates.

The Department only inspects fish in the morning whereas the fish, landed in the evening, would have to be flown immediately, exporters said.

Keeping the fish till morning for inspection destroys the freshness, the exporters charged.

The fresh fish catch is directly sent to major food chains, restaurants and hotels abroad, which ask for fresh fish instead of frozen ones.

However, the MFD's new policy is causing major problems for the exporters in honouring their export orders, exporters said.

Fresh fish export account for 20-30 percent of total seafood export volume and roughly around 1.5 million kg of fresh fish is exported from Pakistan each month, according to the Daily Times.