Approaches to achieving seafood safety in East Africa

摘要

Nile perch constitutes over 80 percent of fish exports from the East African region. Prior to the mid-1990s, over 70 percent was exported to the European Union (EU). The EU bans on fish exports from the East African region in the late 1990s, while inflicting serious economic losses on fishers, exporters, and local economies, provided an impetus for the development of comprehensive fish quality and safety management regimes. These include an overarching legislative framework, harmonization with EU regulations, public participation in monitoring safety standards, the development of industry and export groups, and significant regional co-operation. This paper gives details of the various mechanisms for ensuring fish quality and safety and outlines newdevelopments and challenges facing the region's fish industry.