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Deeptha Rajkumar

KOCHI, Sept. 30

SEAFOOD processing units that do not upgrade themselves to at least `national standards' will not be allowed to continue production, Mr K. Jose Cyriac, Chairman, Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), has said. There are currently around 200 units that conform to this standard.

Mr Cyriac told Business Line on Monday that over the last two years around 60-70 units had been shut down for not complying with the norms. Another 15-20 units have not been approved and are likely to lose their licence.

``All the units are given time to conform to the said requirements. If despite that they fail to qualify, we suspend them from production completely. Of course, they are always welcome to set it up once again and come back to us for approval,'' Mr Cyriac said. He added that this had brought about a considerable shake-out in the industry. This decision was taken jointly by the Union Government along with the Export Inspection Council and MPEDA.

Commenting on the current `antibiotic issue' which has a stranglehold on the Indian seafood industry, Mr Cyriac said in August 2001, the Government had come out with a statutory notice of five banned drugs. This was a precautionary measure taken after exports from China to the EU tested positive for Chloramphenicol.

Once China was banned, Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistan and Myanmar were put on the red alert list. In other words, each and every consignment from these countries were tested. It was at this time that India started getting rejections.

In the year 2001, the total number of rejections were 16. However, in the calendar year so far there have been 32 rejections, 18 of which are for detection of antibiotics.

``By October 13, we have to submit a detailed report to the EU on these rejection cases. We have to trace the contamination and ensure corrective action has been taken. The EU is looking for assurance that there will be no recurrence of such instances. We have to be seen to be taking the issue seriously,'' Mr Cyriac explained.

It is in this context that the decision was taken to suspend the five `value-added' seafood units — with multiple rejections — from production and export of marine products.

``These units have not been taken off the list completely. We are reviewing the situation continuously. There can be no denying that in some of these units there are problems that need to be addressed,'' Mr Cyriac said.

According to him, traditionally rejections were due to micro-biological factors and chemical factors where tests are done for pesticide residues, heavy metal residues etc. It is the micro-biological contaminants which are said to present major problems.

In July 2002, the EU had issued a list of 25 drugs or antibiotics whose usage was banned in any facility.

``The buck stops with the exporter. Whether contamination occurred at the farming level or at the hatchery it is up to him to ensure quality control,'' Mr Cyriac stressed.

In a recent move, the Ministry of Commerce is said to have granted approval to MPEDA's proposal to provide financial assistance to seafood processing units for mandatory installation of quick testing kit for antibiotics.

The `Elisa Kit' is said to cost around Rs 3 lakhs, one lakh of which will now be provided by MPEDA. Initially, the assistance would be provided only to the 120 EU approved units. However Mr Cyriac said it was being made mandatory for the other 200 seafood units also.

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