(fis.com) The Export Inspection Agency (EIA) said that fishing vessels which have not registered with EIAs in their respective states by 15 March will not be granted health certificates or permits to export to the European Union (EU). Seafood exports to the EU have thus come to a halt.
Kerala fishers and exporters are protesting the announcement, as none of the state's fleet of 5,500 mechanised boats is registered with the EIA and neither are the four landing harbours on the state's coastline.
India has a fleet of more than 60,000 mechanised boats, and exporters complain that none have been registered with the agency. Moreover, there are also 48 major fishing harbours and numerous fish landing centres which are not registered, Business Line reports.
An official of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) said talks are on to resolve the issue between exporters and the Export Inspection Council (EIC).
However, the EIA has agreed on a suspension until it hears the opinions of exporters and boat owners in the next few weeks, exporters said, Times of India reports.
The EU is India’s second-largest market for marine exports after Southeast Asia with 22.02 per cent, followed by the US with 19.17 per cent, Japan at 14.09 per cent and China at 7.06 per cent.
"Registering these boats will be a lengthy, if not tortuous process, as a lot of awareness has to be generated and this would take time. As for harbours and landing centres, just two of them have provisional approval while the rest do not conform to EU standards of hygiene and packing to ensure safety from contamination,” informed Anwar Hashim, managing director of Abad Fisheries and former president of the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI).
He noted that Kerala’s seafood industry was caught by surprise and is fearful of what lies ahead for exports. While Kerala's shrimp exports are largely shipped to the US and Japan, the EU is the primary market for cuttlefish and squid. Hashim said a similar notification was issued in 2011.
"In our talks with EIC then, our understanding was that EIC's proposed inspections for ensuring hygiene at the landing centres and proper decontamination facilities would not be linked to the issue of registrations. Unfortunately, that is what seems to be happening," Hashim said.
Exporters have highlighted that the issue is beyond their control because the fishing harbours are owned by the government, which should ensure hygiene at the landing centres.
Seafood from Kerala fetched over INR 20 billion (USD 383.2 million) of India's estimated INR 170 billion (USD 3.3 billion) worth of exports in fiscal 2011.
Some of the exporters argue that the crisis will mean many companies will not be able to accomplish their export target set for the current fiscal year.