Fish products fufil WTO export requirements

JAMAICA'S FULFILMENT of World Trade Organisation (WTO) food requirements means the country is now in a position to capitalise fully on an export market for conch worth US$15 million to US$20 million, and millions more for other fish products.

The announcement which was made earlier this week by Agriculture Minister, Roger Clarke, has been welcomed by exporters of conch in particular, as Europe is the major market for the delicacy. With the ban in effect, local producers were forced to sell to the United States at reduced prices.

For sometime, Jamaica had been trying to get the EU to lift a ban on conch but was unsuccessful in its last attempt in April 1999. Poor processing facilities were blamed. However, other marine products, including Tilapia (fresh water fish), shrimp and prawns were stilled allowed into the EU pending last month's inspection.

Mr. Clarke who made the disclosure while delivering the keynote address at a seminar examining the WTO agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, said since the last inspection, tremendous effort had been made by the Veterinary Services Division, the Competent Authority, to correct the deficiencies pointed out by the EU.

Apart from several pieces of legislation being implemented, these include the purchase and installation of a new high pressure liquid chromatograph (HPLC) unit and accessories at an estimated US$60,000; the purchase and installation of new ravin model oven/incubator and rotary evaporators; and the purchase and installation of new explosion proof refrigerators for chemical storage.

Additionally, a number of fishing vessels have been assigned to undertake production area product and water sampling activities, as well as the purchasing and installation of stock of required laboratory reagents and biologicals.

The refurbishing of the main laboratory building including microbiology and parasitology units was also done and laboratory space expanded. A new office was assigned to public health officers, and some amount of refurbishing done to the laboratory animal unit.

Public health inspectors have been trained and biotoxin and phytoplankton testing is now an on-going activity.

Back to Farmers Weekly