ASEAN Fisheries

Project Overview

Location:
ASEAN (Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam)

Dates:
Feb - Sept 2006

Funding Body:
European Commission

Project Status:
Completed

Due to a series of food scares, European consumers have become increasingly conscious of food safety issues in the recent years. Fish and fishery products is one of the categories dealing with the issues regarding quality, including microbiological contamination (arising from lack of hygiene within the production chain), residues of antibiotics, metal contaminants, parasites and breaks in temperature control in the transportation process. The European Commission has developed specific food safety regulation and standards to protect and assure European consumers from hazardous food products.

In order to assist the ASEAN countries to comply with EU food safety standards, a series of workshops on sanitary and phytosanitary issues in the fisheries sector were held in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, Bangkok, Thailand and Manila, Philippines. The workshop aimed at presenting EU food safety legislation and requirements for fishery products and highlighting how fish and fishery product exporters and processors from ASEAN countries can comply with these EU requirements.

Development Solutions worked with the European Commission and the Central Science Laboratory (CSL) to support all aspects of planning and the implementation of the workshops. The DS team supervised the main aspects of logistical support for the workshops such as the identification, contact and invitation of seminar presenters and attendees. The preparation stage for the workshops also involved DS representatives supporting technical planning, supplying technical material as well as providing online training materials. Support was given to CSL for technical development of the seminar topics, press development and venue preparation.

• Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Workshop - June 2006