The Government of Guyana is continuing its efforts to lift the ban on catfish exports which remains in place, according to Fisheries Department sources.
In 2015, the US Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) amended its regulations to establish a mandatory inspection programme for fish of the order Siluriformes and products derived from these species.
The amendment was the result of a 15-year battle by the Catfish Farmers of America (CFA) to curtail catfish imports from Vietnam. The US government had previously passed the 2008 and 2014 Farm Bills, which amended the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), to make “catfish” a species amenable to the FMIA, and therefore, subject to FSIS inspection, before removing the term “catfish”, so as to make “all fish of the order Siluriformes” subject to FSIS jurisdiction and inspection.
The 2015 standards, which became effective on March 1, 2016, demand the presence of inspectors in (processing) plants for one hour during an eight-hour shift. According to the USDA website, though the standards became effective in 2016, a transitional period was granted before full enforcement commenced on September 1, 2017.
The US Embassy here had said that Guyana was notified since November 2015 of the steps that needed to be taken to avoid a ban on the export of catfish to the United States.
However, the ban which remains in effect has forced ‘gilbaka’ export businesses to downsize since they can no longer access the US/New York market.
Those in the fishing industry yesterday told Stabroek News that they have been repeatedly told that the government “is working with the US to end the ban but we don’t have the technical details as to how far the process is.”
Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha could not be contacted yesterday for comment on the matter.
Sources within the Fisheries Department, however, stressed that their efforts are continuing. However, they added Guyana has made several submissions to the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service which resulted in them requesting more information when each of the submissions is made.
Last week, Washington’s Trade Representative Katherine Tai was questioned in Georgetown on the matter and she told Stabroek News: “I appreciate the opportunity to explain this matter…The process we’re going through regarding the imports of catfish from Guyana is part of a food safety exercise. It should not be viewed as a non-tariff barrier aimed at excluding Guyanese catfish because of the country’s size. Instead, it reflects our legitimate regulatory responsibility to ensure that all imports meet our food safety standards”, she said.
Tai elaborated on the importance of sanitary and phytosanitary policies, which are designed to ensure that food products are safe for consumption.
“This is a critical aspect of trade policy, governed by evidence and science. I understand that the review process can be frustrating, especially for producers who are very good at producing their product. However, it’s vital for governments to guarantee that the food supplied to our citizens is safe. Establishing trust and confidence in the regulatory systems of different countries is crucial for maintaining food safety,” she explained.
