EU team to inspect hygiene at Indian ports

Mangalore, which exports 66% of the India's total marine fish products, could be in for some serious trouble if the European Union (EU) inspectors visiting the South Wharf area at Bunder on November 20, find exacting hygiene standards lacking. But the department of fisheries is confident of passing the acid test in flying colors as, they claim that enough preparation had gone into making the export facility conform to EU standards.This is the first time an EU team is visiting the state as far as marine fish exports is concerned. There will be two EU teams visiting the East and the West coasts of the country to find out whether the fish exported to EU countries met the stringent hygiene norms at fish landing centers.

There are six fish landing centers in India - Karwar, Honnavar, Tadadi, Gangolli, Malpe and Mangalore. The EU team will visit Mangalore as it exports more than two-thirds of the marine fish products in the state, according to Maheshwaran, assistant director, Department of Fisheries. He said the EU team would not find the standards lacking as they had done everything within their limits to ensure proper standards were followed.

Bruno Bridaudeau, lead inspector, will head the EU team and be assisted by Telmo Valinhas, during the two-day visit. Mangalore in 2007-08 has exported 4,720 tonnes dry fish items; 1,422 frozen cuttle fish, 11,646 tonnes frozen fish, 34 tonnes frozen shrimp, 1,630 frozen squids and other 6,693 tonnes of frozen items.

Maheshwaran said the exporters maintained good hygiene from the time of the catch to the point of packaging, as they got a good price for their catch. The same dedication was missing when it came to domestic markets, as the prices were low. "Sometimes the fishermen don't even recover the cost of the ice and hence standards are given the go-by," he lamented.

S M Shivaprakash, head, Extension Education Wing, College of Fisheries, said in case the EU finds standards lacking, there was a chance of Mangalore fish exports being blacklisted by the EU. "Hence we have to be well prepared with the standards they expect," he said.