Shrimp export may stop if quality not maintained
FE Report | Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Bangladesh's shrimp export might be stopped unless the country maintains quality in line with the requirements of major importing countries, said a top government official on Monday.
"Our export can be stopped if the problems in maintaining quality of shrimps remain unresolved," Syed Ataur Rahman, secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock said while speaking as a panel discussant at a seminar.
The seminar on 'Diversification of Bangladesh Export: The Case of Shrimp Sector of Bangladesh' organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) held at a city hotel Monday.
Gulam Mostakim, additional secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, and Zillul Hye Razi, trade adviser of European Commission (EU) to Bangladesh, among others, took part in the discussion while Quazi Shahabuddin, director general of BIDS, conducted the seminar.
M Asaduzzaman, research director, and Nazneen Ahmed, research fellow, of BIDS presented keynote papers in the seminar.
Presenting keynote paper on 'Stages of Shrimp Production and Their Characteristics', M Asaduzzaman said shrimp production might be a highly profitable but a risky business.
"Risks arise due to technical factors, lack of knowledge, lack of observance of even basic hygiene and lack of knowledge of world standards but not usually as is often claimed in other sectors so much due to financial constrains," he said.
He said that unless these risks are minimised it is difficult to observe sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) requirement.
Various SPS measures of the European Union (EU) cover the general principles of food and feed safety, microbiological criteria, residues of pesticides in food, food additive and flavouring, contaminates and tractability, said Nazneen Ahmed.
She stressed the need for making Hazard Analysis and taking Critical Control Points (HACCP) method.
HACCP is a systematic preventive approach to food safely, pharmaceutical safety that addresses physical, chemical and biological hazards as a means of prevention.
"Our export can be stopped if the problems in maintaining quality of shrimps remain unresolved," Syed Ataur Rahman, secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock said while speaking as a panel discussant at a seminar.
The seminar on 'Diversification of Bangladesh Export: The Case of Shrimp Sector of Bangladesh' organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) held at a city hotel Monday.
Gulam Mostakim, additional secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, and Zillul Hye Razi, trade adviser of European Commission (EU) to Bangladesh, among others, took part in the discussion while Quazi Shahabuddin, director general of BIDS, conducted the seminar.
M Asaduzzaman, research director, and Nazneen Ahmed, research fellow, of BIDS presented keynote papers in the seminar.
Presenting keynote paper on 'Stages of Shrimp Production and Their Characteristics', M Asaduzzaman said shrimp production might be a highly profitable but a risky business.
"Risks arise due to technical factors, lack of knowledge, lack of observance of even basic hygiene and lack of knowledge of world standards but not usually as is often claimed in other sectors so much due to financial constrains," he said.
He said that unless these risks are minimised it is difficult to observe sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) requirement.
Various SPS measures of the European Union (EU) cover the general principles of food and feed safety, microbiological criteria, residues of pesticides in food, food additive and flavouring, contaminates and tractability, said Nazneen Ahmed.
She stressed the need for making Hazard Analysis and taking Critical Control Points (HACCP) method.
HACCP is a systematic preventive approach to food safely, pharmaceutical safety that addresses physical, chemical and biological hazards as a means of prevention.