(Web Desk) – The Karachi Fish Harbour is ability a cogent check in alertness for an accessible analysis by the European Union (EU) in the aboriginal anniversary of April.
The audit, conducted by the European Commission’s Director for Health and Food, Audits and Analysis, will appraise the accessories of fishery exporters aircraft articles to EU countries.
The Marine Fisheries Administration (MFD) has abreast authorities that the appraisal will focus on acquiescence with European Commission regulations, which authorization austere assessments at every date of the accumulation chain—from fishing boats and landing sites to processing and accumulator facilities.
In November 2024 and January 2025, the MFD issued belletrist to stakeholders, cogent annoyance over poor sanitation altitude at Karachi Fish Harbour, including austere deficiencies at landing sites and bargain halls. To abode these concerns, the MFD instructed the Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) and the Fishermen Cooperative Society Limited (FCSL) to advance facilities, including fishing boats and bargain areas that handle fishery articles advised for EU exports.
The administration has fatigued that hygiene and sanitation improvements are acute to alienated any abeyant consign bans. Essential measures such as able handwashing stations, decay auctioning facilities, and the accumulation of cooler ice from accustomed plants are actuality enforced.
Mohammad Zafar Iqbal Kundi, administrator of the Pakistan Fishery Exporters Association (PFEA), assured that exporters are adorable for the EU audit. “Our processing units and exporters are ready,” he said, abacus that acquiescence efforts are actuality expedited advanced of Eidul Fitr.
Currently, alone four exporters in Pakistan are acceptable to consign fishery articles to the EU. However, three added exporters accept submitted applications for approval. According to Kundi, the accessible analysis will analysis both the already accustomed units and those gluttonous approval.
More exporters accept additionally submitted requests to the MFD, which will be forwarded to the EU if the accepted applications are approved.
“If we can access the cardinal of exporters to 12, Pakistan has the abeyant to acquire $200-300 actor annually from exports to EU countries,” Kundi projected.
Zahid Khemtio, Managing Director of the KFHA, emphasised that assorted government agencies are alive calm to accommodated EU standards.