Malaysian shellfish shipments re-admitted

May 26, 2009

INCREASED shipments of prawns and other shellfish are expected to enter the UK this summer following a decision by the European Union to re-admit frozen seafood from Malaysia.

The country was suspended from sending fish nearly a year ago after they were suspended for failing to meet health standards. Fish exports from other Asian countries like Indonesia and Vietnam are already a common sight in British supermarkets and fish counters.

The approval came after an EU inspection team gave the clearance during a visit in March, the European Commission ambassador to Malaysia Vincent Piket said in a statement late Thursday.

The Malaysian government had decided on its own to stop exports of its multi-billion-dollar frozen seafood business to Britain and other EU states last June to avoid an outright ban. Mr Piket said: ‘We are pleased to announce that Malaysia can resume exports of fisheries products to the EU following a positive inspection conducted by the food and veterinary office, the body responsible for food safety in the EU.

‘This is the first step to resume the exports of fisheries products which leads to the full resumption of Malaysian export of fisheries products to the EU,’ he added.

Piket said the EU worked closely with Malaysian authorities to implement measures to address food safety management and hygiene issues in order to allow trade to resume. Malaysia’s frozen seafood exports to the EU are worth £120 million a year, but that figure is expected to increase considerably over the next two years.

Source: Fishupdate.com

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