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Stefano Ponte DIIS spo@diis.dk

Of ‘bad’ and’ good’ Lake Victoria fish: Defining food safety and sustainability through regulation, standards and popular media. Stefano Ponte DIIS spo@diis.dk. Introduction. Work in progress Fieldwork in Uganda (Dec 2007-Jan 2008) Follow up of a study carried out in 2004

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Stefano Ponte DIIS spo@diis.dk

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  1. Of ‘bad’ and’ good’ Lake Victoria fish: Defining food safety and sustainability through regulation, standards and popular media Stefano Ponte DIIS spo@diis.dk

  2. Introduction • Work in progress • Fieldwork in Uganda (Dec 2007-Jan 2008) • Follow up of a study carried out in 2004 • Current focus: what makes fish ’good’ or ’bad’? • Two aspects: • Food safety & quality management • Sustainability of the resource

  3. 3 sources of ’goodness/badness’ • Regulation • EU food safety regulation on imports of fish • Application of EU rules in fish exporting countries • Including HACCP protocols, GMPs, GHPs • Food safety rules for local/regional markets • Net/fish size regulation • Self-regulation by processors on purchases of juvenile fish (NEW!) • Third-party labels & certifications • ISO 9000 (quality management) • BRC, IFS, ISO 22000 (food safety and QM) • ISO 14000 (environmental management) • Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) label on sustainability • Popular media • ’Darwin’s nightmare’ (documentary)

  4. Regulation (1) • EU food safety regulation on imports of fish • Application of EU rules in fish exporting countries • Bans of late 1990s • Upgrading of factories, new SOPs, clearer CA roles • EU inspections in 2000 – green light • EU follow up inspection in 2006 • Fine-tuning of regulations and SOPs • Lack of upstream controls (on the lake) • Landings for export only in approved sites

  5. Regulation (2) • Food safety rules for local/regional markets • Role of BMUs • Nominal checks at landing sites on basic quality • Fish/net size regulation • Nile perch: 6 in. net min size; 20 in. fish min size • Juvenile fish – illegal to trade it even in local market • In practice: difficult to monitor/control • Top-down punitive measures do not work in the long term • Difficult for BMUs to confiscate gear

  6. Regulation (3) • Self-regulation (NEW!) • Fish processors (started in Ug, now extending to Tz) • Do not buy NP under 15 in. size (moving up to 16) • Own ’uncorruptable’ inspection unit (self-financed) • DFR imposes sanctions (closure of plants) • Motivations: Market vs. Sustainability • Does it work beyond the landing site? • Motivations, incentives, ’blame’ • Alternative markets for juvenile fish (DRC, Sudan)

  7. 3rd party labels and standards • ’Good Process’ certifications • Relatively easy and low cost • ISO 9000 (achieved in early 2000s) • Quality management • ISO 14000 (only few) • Environmental management • ISO 22000 (achieved in 2006) • Food safety and QM (incl. HACCP, GMP, GHP) • Sustainability certification • Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) • Pilot programme at LVFO • A long shot for Nile Perch

  8. ’Good and bad’ according to popular (European) media • ’Darwin’s nightmare’ • Sauper’s documentary on the fish industry (and many other things) around Mwanza • Negative portrait of fishing activities • Wins many prizes in Europe • Nominated to Oscar for best documentary (but loses) • Serious misrepresentations, patronizing, dubious ethics • Supermarket ’scare’ in France and Belgium • Lasts one week • No impact on sales in the mid-term • Still, image damage is done • Industry thinks of counter-acting image problem with MSC certification

  9. Conclusion • EU regulation: sticky issues • Inspections/conditions on vessels • Exports landed in ’approved’ sites only • What strategy for Lake Victoria countries? • Sustainability • Ecolabels and beyond • Self-regulation ok to a point • Support and incentives for fishers • Image problems • Is MSC the way forward on image? • Counter-acting with alternative info? • Role of LVFO

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