Page 38 - FAO Aquaculture News, May 2021 - No. 63

Food Safety for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products

in the Central Asia and Caucasus region: Webinar

ood safety remains a major concern for the fisheries The webinar was attended by more than 60 experts from
Fand aquaculture industry, and it is a critical component Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey,
for ensuring food and nutrition security worldwide. The Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The webinar targeted
production and consumption of safe food are central to policy-makers, researchers, fish farmers, representatives of
any society, and they have a wide range of economic, social fishers’ association and companies, as well as ministerial
and, in many cases, environmental consequences. The staff involved in food policy, food safety of aquatic
issue of food safety is even more important in view of the products, quality assurance, and testing of fisheries and
growth in international fish trade, which has undergone aquaculture products for food safety and quality control. Aquaculture Updates by Region
tremendous expansion during the past three decades
(FAO, 2020). Expansion of the food industry and food The main topics delivered on the first day were hazards
distribution systems across borders and continents has in fishery and aquaculture products; Codex Alimentarius
required the development of quality assurance systems and the code of practice for fish and fishery products;
to support business-to-business contractual agreements international requirements, regulations and standards
and verification of conformity of food supplies with the associated with food safety and quality for fisheries
specifications. Simultaneously, the development of and aquaculture products (the European Union and
bilateral, regional and multilateral trade agreements has United States of America); Eurasian Economic Union
brought about changes in national and supranational requirements, regulations and standards; challenges
food control systems to harmonize requirements and for handling and processing of fishery and aquaculture
procedures. The efforts of the industry and food control products; and how to reach international markets. The
authorities were not harnessed in a synergistic way until second day included presentations on Turkey’s food safety
the advent of regulatory hazard analysis and critical control regulatory system, including food control laboratories,
points (HACCP) food control systems. Much still needs laboratory quality management systems and accreditation
to be done to promote complementary systems that will processes.
enable the control and prevention of food safety hazards
at the source and along the supply chain and decrease The following participating countries responded to the
reliance on end-product sampling and testing (FAO, 2020). questionnaires survey request: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Adequate laboratory infrastructure is a very important part Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan. The following are key
of this process and is required to support monitoring, findings from the survey.
surveillance and enforcement activities.
– There is an effective food safety regulatory framework
A regional webinar was organized virtually on 29–30 in the five responding countries. The responding
September 2020 under the project “Capacity Building countries stated that they each have a competent
for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Management authority for food safety inspection for fishery and
in Central Asia (FISHCap): GCP/SEC/013/TUR”, aquaculture products. These authorities each have
implemented under the FAO-Turkey Partnership a food safety regulatory framework that supports or
Programme on Food and Agriculture (FTPP II). The strengthens government control with respect to food
main objectives of the webinar were to (i) provide the safety for fisheries and aquaculture products for local
participants with the basics of sampling methods, laboratory consumption, a national accreditation body and an
management and accreditation processes of food control accredited laboratory to support the country’s food
laboratories; and (ii) analyse institutional capacity for food safety inspection system.
safety for fishery and aquaculture products in the region – All the responding countries are, to varying degrees,
through a questionnaire sent to countries before the event. exporters of fisheries and aquaculture products. The
top exporting country is Turkey, with a diverse range
of products targeting many countries. Kazakhstan,
Written by: Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan mostly export to
Haydar Fersoy neighbouring countries and the Russian Federation.
E-mail: Haydar.Fersoy@fao.org All the responding countries also import fisheries and
FAO Subregional Office for Central Asia, Ankara, Turkey aquaculture products and have border inspection
John Ryder posts.
E-mail: John.Ryder@fao.org – Tajikistan and Turkey reported that they have expertise
Esther Garrido Gamarro in import risk analysis for fisheries and aquaculture
E-mail: Esther.GarridoGammaro@fao.org products.
FAO Fisheries Division, Rome, Italy

FAO AQUACULTURE NEWS – Nº. 63 ■ MAY 2021 37