Pakistan News And Discussion-10

[Naresh]

[center]<b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Pakistani authorities tried to hoodwink EU team</span></b>[/center]

KARACHI: The European Union has cited serious disinformation from the Pakistani fishery authorities during a visit of its team to check seafood quality, which it marked as one of the major reasons behind de-listing of local processing factories.

An official document admitted dishonesty on the government behalf and disclosed that during the EU team visit information provided by the competent authority (CA) that is the federally-administered Marine Fisheries Department and Karachi Fisheries Harbour Authority (KFHA) proved absolutely wrong, which was also placed in the final report received here by the authorities concerned.

“The mission team was informed by the CA and KFHA officials that auctions for shrimps in K1 are performed in the afternoon and for fish in the evening,” said a MFD letter to the institutions concerned based on detailed report of the EU and its findings.

“According to instructions set by the CA, all FP (fish products) intended for export to the EU market are to be compulsory auctioned at the K1 auction site. However, the mission team found several records in establishments that demonstrate receipt of shrimps at different times during the morning.”

It said that during the course of the mission, information was gathered, in particular from different establishments, indicating that other landing sites were used to supply the EU-approved establishments.

“The mission team observed FP being auctioned and supplied to and processed by EU approved establishments unfit for human consumption according to Council Regulation (EC) N 2406/96,” added the MFD letter.

The government last month finally received a verdict from the EU, which informed Pakistani fishery authorities about de-listing of all the processing factories on quality grounds, putting ban on more than $80 million exports of the country. The EU decision came after more than a month of its vigilance team visit to Karachi fish harbour and other fisheries installations in January 2007 to check quality of seafood being exported to its member countries.

In February 2005 the EU team wrapped up its visit on warnings that Pakistani authorities should maintain seafood quality as per the set standards otherwise they would lose their largest seafood export market.

However, sources say this time the EU has offered a month time for an action plan to remove deficiencies observed during the team’s visit.

“In fact the MFD has received an EU communiquÈ,” said a source close to the fisheries circle. “It clearly asked the action plan by April 16, 2007 and would then give certain deadline to accomplish such plan. After that the EU said it could consider the listing of Pakistan seafood exporters.”

He said the MFD had also received the EU report and sent its copies to the de-listed exporters so the deficiencies found in the factories visited by the experts’ team could assess their quality standards.

“The EU team has indicated serious faults in production chain, which affect the seafood quality and the consignments exported ultimately infected consumers health,” added the source.

The State Bank suggested seafood exports at $160 million by June 2006 up from $138.94 million exported during 2004-05, as the EU countries remained the largest buyers of the Pakistani products with more than 50 per cent share in total shipments.

The EU contributes more than 60 per cent of total seafood export from the country, as the 27-nation block has been the largest single buyer of Pakistani seafood for more than two decades.

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