EU lifts ban on import of Pakistani fish products

ISLAMABAD: The European Union has decided to allow import of Pakistani fish products. These products were subject to a ban in European Union since 2007.

Pakistan’s fishery establishments were de-listed by the European Commission (EC) in 2007 after the EU inspectors found systemic enforcement failure and serious deficiencies in the sanitary quality of the fish.

After a concerted effort by the Ministry of Commerce, Marine Fisheries Department and Pakistan’s Trade Mission in Brussels, European Union has finally agreed to lift the ban from March 12th 2013 and two Pakistani fish-processing establishments have been allowed to export its fish products to the European Union.

The European Commission had decided to recommend to the 27 member states, for inclusion of two Pakistani Fishery establishments in the approved list that are authorised to export fishery products to the EU.

The member states were given the deadline till February 26th, 2013 to file their objections. Since, no such objection was made by any of the member states, the names of the two fishing establishments were duly accepted by the EU.

Any consignment exported from these two approved establishments in Pakistan, after 12th March 2013, would be able to enter the EU.

All the fishery consignments destined for EU will be inspected by the Marine Fisheries Department prior to the shipment and by the the European port when they get there.

The EC held that re-listing would be done after the relevant stakeholders in Pakistan could improve the hygiene conditions in the fishery processing establishments.

The Government of Pakistan has been working with the stakeholders to bring in the desired improvements. The laboratory services of MFD have been modernized; MFD microbiology and chemical labs have been internationally accredited; hygiene conditions in fishing vessels, landing & auction sites, fish processing plants have been improved; around 200 fishing boats have been modified.

Before the de-listing, Pakistan’s export of fish to Europe amounted to 38.72 million in 2006.