All seafood exports from India to the EU are coming to a halt. In a notification dated March 15, the Export Inspection Agency (EIA) has stated that it will not be giving health certificates and Q certificates to exporters unless the product is sourced from fishing boats and landing centres registered with the agency.

In a fleet of over 60,000 mechanised boats, the exporters complained that there is not a single boat which has been registered with the agency. There are 48 major fishing harbours and numerous fish landing centres which are not registered either.

Without the health certificate from the EIA no European Port will entertain Indian seafood export consignments. Q Certificate is mandatory for the Indian customs to release the consignments for exports.

The exporters pointed out that all fishing harbours and fish landing centres in the country are owned by the Government and there is nothing that they could do at this instance. The bulk of the mechanised fishing boats are often owned and operated by illiterate and poor fishermen and the agency would have to first educate them on the needs of registration.

UPGRADING FACILITIES

Most of the seafood processing units which have been exporting to the EU have already upgraded their facilities to meet EU standards and are registered with the EIA, sources in the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) said. What has caught them unawares is the fact that the date of the notification and effective implementation date are the same.

However, some of the exporters conceded that there was an earlier notification in March last year asking the fishing boats and fishing harbours and landing centres to register with the Agency. But referring to the Government-owned fishing harbours and fish landing centres, an exporter said, “We cannot be held guilty if one arm of the Government does not register with another arm.”

Since March 15, the EIA has stopped giving health certificates and Q certificates for seafood exports to the EU. All marine export consignments to the EU are currently operating with certificates issued prior to that cut-off date. These would soon dwindle and cease and effective exports to the EU would be arrested, SEAI said.

Some of the exporters said that the crisis has come at a most inappropriate time and several companies would not be able to fulfil their export target set for the current fiscal. Not to mention the loss of faith and confidence with the EU importers in case the export commitments are not executed.

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