MANGALORE: The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), the nodal agency to implement the `catch certification' has requested all fishing boat operators and seafood exporters to cooperate with the authority in implementing the catch certificate validation scheme.
The catch certification requirement has been made compulsory for all consignments made out of catches from sea, landed on or after January 1, 2010, for export to European Union (EU).
MPEDA requested boat operators to submit the logsheet with relevant details to data entry operator at fishing harbours or at the nearest fishing harbour within 72 hours of unloading the catch.
A release from Rajakumar S Naik, assistant director, MPEDA's sub regional office in Mangalore stated that all marine products exported to EU will have to be accompanied by a catch certificate as this will provide traceability of the products to ensure that it does not come as illegal unreported unregulated (IUU) fishing.
This certification will be required for fish, shrimp, squid, cuttlefish, octopus used in consignments exported to EU.
The release stated this regulation is applicable to consignments exported directly or through third countries. All major seafood exporting countries have decided to implement the above requirement and have accordingly informed the EU. The catch certificate prepared by the industry (vessel operator or the exporter) has to be validated and countersigned by a government authority.
The regulation requires the exporting countries to monitor certain percentage of the cases in detail. India exports annually Rs 2,800 crore worth of seafood to EU, which is one-third of India's seafood exports. MPEDA official stated that considering the importance of the EU markets as major consumers of Indian seafood, Centre has decided that India will implement the catch certification scheme and MPEDA has been appointed as nodal agency.
Based on the above decision, MPEDA has already made arrangements to monitor catch supply (for export to EU) by boats to exporters directly and through agents and to validate the catch certificates.
To start with, MPEDA has decided to supply to boats logsheets to indicate supply of catch to exporters and forms of catch certificates free of cost. A computer system is also put into operation for 'catch' data entry, speedy validation of catch certificates.
Source : TOI