Following three decades of legislation concerning the food safety of fishery an d aquaculture products entering international trade, s everal dominant markets now require the establishment of functional official controls as a condition of import of these important products. This presents significant challenges for developing countries, which experience weak governance, limited technical control capacities, and limited basic infrastructure for compliance. Until now, aquaculture production in Africa has been directed mostly at domestic consumption, but some countries are now actively seeking to develop regional and international markets for their aquaculture products.
This paper reviews the status of development in 55 African countries of official controls for fishery and aquaculture products , using as indicators the establishment of Competent Authorities recognised by the European Commission, results of interceptions of non-compliant products in export markets and audits carried out on the relevant C ompetent A uthorities responsible for food safety. Of these, 29 countries are Listed in Annex I (concerning fishery products) of Commission Decision and two are listed in A nnex II (concerning bivalve molluscs). Only e ight countries have been able to meet the EU conditions for aquaculture and 26 countries are not able to export any fishery products at all to the EU.
Potential food safety hazards of specific concern in aquaculture include residues of veterinary medicines and other treatments , environmental contaminants in fish and feed (pesticides, PCBs and heavy metals) and in the case of freshwater aquaculture , fish-borne zoonotic trematodes. The paper describes the common control and monitoring measures used by authorities to demonstrate protection against such hazards. This includes controls on distribution and use of veterinary medicines, design, and implementation of residue monitoring programmes for fish and feed, development of capacity of Competent Authorities for official controls on farms and in feed mills (based on HACCP principles) and effective systems of certification and correction of non-compliances.
Trade in live fish (including broodstock, juveniles, ova, and gametes) also introduces the risk of transmission of fish diseases. Although there is no public data to indicate the extent of adoption of A quatic A nimal Health measures , few African countries have developed the essential systems to protect against import and transmission of industry-killing fish diseases.
Incapacity to trade aquaculture products can generate a significant barrier to development, confining distribution to the domestic market even at times of high production. Since expansion of aquaculture production in many African countries is central to development policy , efforts should include the development of effective food safety (and aquatic animal health) c ontrols to meet international requirements. In many cases there is a strong justification for such measures to be applied to all aquaculture production irrespective of the market, to protect consumers and provide a safe investment environment.
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