March 5, 2007

 

Pakistan moves to avert EU seafood ban

 

 

In a fresh bid to avoid the EU ban on its seafood, Pakistan's government has offered guaranteed quality assurance to its seafood exports.

 

The bid was a counter strategy in response to an impending decision that the EU would be banning Pakistani seafood, according to a senior Pakistani official.

 

Pakistan is making an overture to EU authorities hoping to win more time to meet their quality standards.

 

Pakistani exporters have received notifications from EU buyers that the government in their respective states have directed them not to make new shipments from Pakistan, as some exporters in the country may be de-listed by the EU authorities.

 

In January this year, an EU team visited Karachi's fish harbour to check fisheries facilities and the quality of its seafood.

 

The EU has warned Pakistani authorities since 2005 to keep their seafood up to standards.

 

Pakistan stopped shipments to the EU in March 2005 as a preemptory move to avoid being banned. However exports continued in August 2005 with Pakistani authorities assuring importers that the seafood quality would be brought up to par in a few months.

 

Pakistan can ill-afford losing the EU market, the official said. The EU accounts for half of the country's seafood exports. The matter was given utmost priority as even the country's Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz is looking into the matter.

 

Seafood exports were at US$160 million on June 2006, up from US$138.94 million in 2005..

 

The EU have been the biggest importers of Pakistan's seafood exports,mainly shrimps, for more than two decades.