Private Standards: Seychelles Perspective

1. Private Standards: Seychelles Perspective Private Standards: Seychelles Perspective

2. Economy • Fishery industry is of great economic importance to the Seychelles. • Most of our fish and fishery products are exported to the European Union. • Canned Tuna, Fish (fresh/Frozen) • Frozen Prawns, Other processed fish • Fish oil

3. Private Standards • For the time being, private standards have not yet had an impact on our export but we are foreseeing that it will in near future . • In view that Seychelles export most of its fish and fishery to the EU market, compliance to requirements of their standards and technical regulations is our main challenge in view that the requirements specified therein are stringent when compared to the requirements of Codex International Standards and codes of practices relating to fish and fishery products.

4. Private Standards Advantage of Private Standards • -International recognition for the exported Agri-food products • -Bring economic benefit to the producers and country Disadvantage of Private standards • put a lot pressure on the country in building capacity for compliance to the specified standards – i.e in terms of infrastructure, equipment, competent personnel • difficulty in accessing the European market

5. SPS related institutions • Veterinary Services: MENR - Dept ( NR) 1. animal & animal products 2. fish & fishery products • Plant Protection Section: MENR – Dept (NR) • Environmental Health Section: MoH

6. SPS related legislations • Animal (Diseases & Import) Act 1981 ( rev. in 1991) • Export of Fishery Products Act 1996 (rev. in 2005) • Food Act 1987

7. Food Safety • Veterinary Services (Competent Authority) of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has designated the laboratories of the Seychelles Bureau of Standards as the official testing laboratory for the testing of fish and fishery products which are exported. • Test results issued by SBS are used by the CA to issue export certificates. • At the last visit of the Food and veterinary inspection mission to the Seychelles, the CA was recommended that it is a requirement of the EU Commission Regulation EC No. 2073/2005 which came into force in January 2006, that the test method used for “histamine analysis” in fish and fishery products should be changed to HPLC method and that the laboratories to be accredited by the 31st December 2009.

8. Food Safety • The danger for Seychelles is that if SBS does not develop the capacity to test fish for compliance with the EU standards and technical regulations then we will not be able to export fish to the EU market as from 1st January 2010. • The consequences for this loss will be too severe to the country socially and economically and could have a severe effect on the ability of the Government to meet the Millennium Development Goals, in terms of alleviation of poverty and diseases.

9. Technical Assistance • Ministry of Finance has assisted SBS to purchase the HPLC but the bureau still need to obtain three other pieces of equipment in order to be able to make the HPLC operational. • Recently an ACP/EU delegation visited SBS and toured the various facilities and understood the need for assistance in order for SBS to achieve accreditation. • The COMESA Secretariat has been requested for assistance with the accreditation project. • Assistance from PTB • SADC has also agreed to send a mission to Seychelles to assess the need for capacity building with the accreditation project.

10. Thank you