Seafood processing for export. (Photo: FIS)
Govt to aid sector to restart exports to Saudi Arabia
MYANMAR
Saturday, May 19, 2018, 00:20 (GMT + 9)
The Myanmar government expressed its intention to join efforts with private seafood factories to restart fish and shrimp exports to Saudi Arabia after the ban imposed by Saudi authorities in April.
The decision was released by Deputy Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Minister U Hla Kyaw during an Upper House session about the government’s efforts to overturn bans on seafood imports from Myanmar in Saudi Arabia, the United States and the European Union as well as on its plans to find new markets, The Irrawaddy reported.
The US imposed a ban on imports of shrimp from Myanmar because Myanmar’s fishing boats and nets do not use turtle excluder devices.
In January this year, Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) announced a temporary suspension of fish and shrimp imports from Myanmar, Vietnam, Bangladesh and India, effective as of April 1.
This temporary ban was imposed after a delegation of regulators from Saudi Arabia conducted inspections at more than 20 farms in Vietnam and found only nine which met the hygiene requirements of Saudi Arabia, Myanmar Times informed.
The Saudis also found aquaculture products imported from Southeast Asian nations in January were infected two types of animal diseases: white spot disease and acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease.
“Our ministry will help local fish factories to meet the regulations of the SFDA so that we can continue our export of aquaculture products to Saudi Arabia,” U Hla Kyaw said.
The ban was based on the World Organization for Animal Health’s Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report covering the Asia-Pacific region for April, May and June of 2017. According to the SFDA, it shows that white tail disease is present in some parts of Myanmar.
“There are international-standard fish processing factories in Myanmar. They can stand inspection. But if you’d check the breeding part, breeders usually feed fish together with poultry and swine, so it will fail the inspection,” said U Toe Nandar Tin, vice president of the Myanmar Fisheries Federation.
Myanmar makes a profit between USD 20 million and USD 35 million annually from fish and shrimp exports to Saudi Arabia, according to the deputy minister.
Myanmar’s seafood exports head mainly to China, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Bangladesh, Australia and to countries in the Middle East and Europe.
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