July 30, 2010

 

EU's ban on Pakistan's seafood criticised as being not technically justified

 

 

The ban imposed by the EU on Pakistan's seafood products is more political rather than technical, according to owners of fishing boats.

 

Furthermore, they said that despite modifying their boats according to the specifications of the EU, there has not been any positive response.

 

The EU denied access to Pakistan's seafood products on the grounds for not meeting the required standards of hygiene. The union laid down terms and conditions in 2007. "If the concerned authorities from the EU's markets do not visit us, a huge money spent on the modifications of the boats would be wasted as a delayed visit would mean the boats would have gone through the wears and tears," said a boat owner and added that a normal boat takes about a month to go through modifications.

 

He dismissed EU's apprehensions regarding the hygiene level of Pakistan's seafood products and said the products were acceptable in this regard. "Pakistan's fish harbour and its facilities, which the EU has termed unfit, are far better than those of several regional countries," said the Patron Sindh Trawlers Owners and Fishermen Association Sarwar Siddiqi.

 

He said the seafood ban imposed by the EU has lasted long enough and now should be lifted as Pakistan's fisheries industry is in a better shape with an improved infrastructure as per the EU's primary condition laid down for trade. EU, despite announcements, cancelled its visits to inspect the fish harbour, auction halls, seafood processing units and the modified fishing boats. The cancellations have caused big disappointment to all the concerned stakeholders in the fisheries export sector, he added. Siddiqi, however, wants the government to improve the outlook of fish harbour to meet the global fisheries specifications.

 

He also said that since the EU's specifications in 2007, the boat owners have done a lot in modifying their boats to meet the requirements, and now it is high time the deserving gets its share.