Islands Business - Fiji awaits EU checks

BRUSSELS, Belgium ----- Fiji is ready for another inspection from European Commission health officials later this year, which will determine whether the country can export fish to the multi-million dollar worth European Union market. But this comes as Food Safety, Health and Consumer Affairs official, Wolf-Martin Haier cancelled this expectation, saying the possibility of any inspection this year was almost unachievable. Without mincing his words, Mr Haier said EU inspectors could not come to the country all the time -- adding that Fiji should have done it right the first time. Brussels ambassador Peceli Vocea said in the last inspection conducted in June 2009, EC inspectors found significant improvements in the work of the Competent Authority but that shortcomings of establishments meant that Fiji could not be re-certified to export fish to the EU. The ambassador added that in Fiji's opinion, if the Competent Authority was recognised to be doing its work properly, this should have been sufficient to re-list Fiji on the understanding that the CA would only provide certificates from establishments meeting requirements. Fiji was delisted from EU's list of exporting countries in 2008 because of shortcomings in the processes of certification of the safety of the fish for consumption by the designated Competent Authority. This had led to the establishment of the Food Safety Unit within the Ministry of Health with additional resources being provided by the Government with the EC providing technical officials. One of the shortfalls in Fiji's establishments was that some fishing vessels had wooden decks when the requirement was fibreglass decks. However, Mr Vocea said some exporters had gone to great lengths to meet these requirements. But, of course, the question for most exporters was whether the investment was worthy considering our geographical isolation. Fiji's exports to the EU market stand at $53million.