RP unprepared to meet the EU’s fish catch certification rule
Request forPostponement
The
Philippines has requested the European Commission to postpone the January 1, 2010 effectivity of a new fish catch certification system that could result in the rejection of fish exports to the European Union by next year.
Under the regulation, any fish importing country can refuse the entry of fish imports that have no catch certificates validated by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources soon after the January 1 deadline. The new requirement covers practically all open-sea caught marine products except mussels, snails and harvests from fishponds.
Request Denied
Tuna canners from Gen. Santos City and operators of small and big fishing fleets have sounded off the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT) of their concern over the ability of BFAR to set up a nationwide system of enforcing the fish catch certification system.
BFAR officials, in phone interviews, said that although they are trying to beatthe January 1 deadline, they have asked the European Commission for a postponement. Unfortunately, the request was denied.
Required to seek validated fish catch certificates are operators of fishing vessels, both the big and the small, fish processors led by tuna canners and direct exporters.
Purpose ofCertification
In adopting the new fish catch certification, the EU reasoned that it will ensure the traceability of all sea-caught fish products: from catching them to marketing, as well as ensure the compliance with conservation and fishery management practices.
The fish catch certificates must reflect the exact location where the fishes were caught and the volume of the catch. This will later be validated by the government agency in an exporting country that oversees said activities,including the licensing of fishing vessels. It summed up the system as a way of curbing illegal, unreported and unregulated fish supply globally.
Not Yet Ready
The EU, in its primer on the new regulation, added that anexporting country like the
Philippines is required to notify the European Commission if it has already set in place a national arrangement for implementation, control and enforcement.
As of yesterday, the BFAR has not gotten the EU’s green light on a standardcertification form that will be used by the fishing fleets, the processors andthe exporters.
Early this week,
Indonesiahas notified the EU it is not prepared to meet the January 1, 2010 deadline. -- Abe P. Belena, PHILEXPORT News and Features
