Bags of fishmeal. (Photo: Stock File)
Total moratorium for new fishmeal plant permits
ECUADOR
Thursday, April 19, 2018, 21:30 (GMT + 9)
The Ministry of Aquaculture and Fisheries (MAP) set a total moratorium on the establishment and operation of new fishmeal processing plants as well as of artisanal processing ones known as "pamperas", to ensure the sustainability of small pelagic fish.
The fishing authority also ordered that processing plants that are operational must comply with a set of requirements to continue working, and will be subject to inspections and monitoring to verify compliance with these provisions.
Those fishmeal plants that do not comply with the provisions of the ministerial agreement will be notified with the temporary suspension of activities, in compliance with the current fishing regulations.
Regarding the processing plants that are in operation, the MAP decided that they will remain operative as long as they comply with the requirements established by the Fisheries and Quality and National Safety Authority, as well as the National Fisheries Institute, in relation to their functionality and traceability of the products obtained.
Formal fishmeal processing industries must produce products under quality standards in compliance with what is established by the National Quality and Safety Authority. In addition, they must implement sampling and detection analysis processes in their production in order to avoid possible contamination to the product obtained, in addition to the level of some chemical pollutants, especially dioxin in fish oil.
Likewise, they will have to perform microbiological processes to improve the operational conditions and quality control of their facilities, which will be informed to the Fisheries and Quality and Safety Authority for knowledge and registration.
Based on the result of scientific research, the MAP will determine the percentage increase for the use of remnants of waste or raw material to produce fishmeal.
The raw material for fishmeal processing and production processes will comply with the provisions of the MAP.
The regulations will also apply to "pamperas".
The Undersecretariat of Fisheries Resources, through the Directorate of Fisheries Resources Control (DCRP) and the Directorate of Industrial Fisheries (DPI), will carry out inspections and monitoring of the processing plants and operations of the fishing fleet dedicated to the capture of small pelagic fish.
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Photo Courtesy of FIS Member COPEINCA ASA - Corporacion Pesquera Inca S.A.C.
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