Future needs and developments of fisheries product
The recommendation for future needs and developments are divided in 9 different stages.
1. Product Tracing and Recall:
■ Management should ensure effective procedures are in place to effect the complete product tracing and rapid recall of any lot of fishery product from the market.
■ Appropriate records of processing, production and distribution should be kept and retained for a period that exceeds the shelf-life of the product.
■ Where there is a health hazard, products produced under similar conditions, are likely to present a similar hazard to public health, may be withdrawn. The need for public warnings should be considered.
■ Management should be determined that health and safety consumers is the driving force for the traceability and for this reason farm to fork approach is an effective tool to address food safety.
2. Control of Raw Material:
■ As shrimp producers and processors are legally bound to assess the safety of shrimp, their commercial viability and reputation also depend on their being able to consistently produce shrimp meeting their customers’ expectations. Raw material control must also ensure that the processor is able to meet all his “quality” objectives.
■ Processor must determine what characteristics of raw materials are important for ensuring an acceptable end product. In addition, a list of tests and exact testing methods should be used to determine the raw material compliance.
■ Food hygiene should be thought of as a process that beings at the level of the primary producer and ends once the food is consumed by the consumer. A supplier’s guarantee or vendor certification can be important part of processor’s strategy for ensuring the suitability of raw material. The frequency of raw material checks can be reduced as the processor gains confidence in any particular supplier.
3. Environmental Impact :
Some statistics of shrimp sector cause the environmental and social impacts which is in the form of mangrove destruction, salinity intrusion and loss of coastal and marine fisheries resource been pressing problem. The conversion of mangroves to shrimp farms and the by-products of the processing zone has far fetched implications on the nature as a whole. Furthermore, with the changes in the global export regimes, Bangladesh is threatened with a member of challenges for sustaining the shrimp industry. With the WTO regimes coming into effect and the imposition of SPS regulations, the impacts on the environment sector will be much more pronounced than ever before.
Environmental aspects should be tackled by awareness raising and supporting by products utilization as follows:
■ Recommending and implementation of environmental management and environment friendly technologies for the private sector.
■ Raise awareness on the positive economical impact of environment friendly shrimp rearing and processing methods as well as by-product utilization.
■ Conducting feasibility study on the use of shrimp shells and heads for added value products.
■ Assessing the sources of health hazardous antibiotics and drugs like Nitrofuran and Chloramphenicol as well as raising awareness on the negative impact of these substances and proposals of their replacement.
■ Training on environmental friendly farm water management avoiding eutropication.
■ Linking activities with other projects carry out by the government and/or other agencies, institutions and NGOs.
4. Infrastructure development:
■ Human resource development should be strengthened in order to implement HACCP system in all stages of the processing through various in-service training programs.
■ To improve the socio-economic condition of poor destitute people especially of the woman by creating employment opportunity.
■ Immediate expansion of Quality Control set up and manpower to extend extensive and motivation service upto field level.
■ To develop local depot to a higher standard in order to protect the product from contamination of the harvested raw materials during handling and transportation.
■ Basic survey of ice factory in and around major shrimp landing center is a vital need, water quality and area wise production capacity to combat the requirement of ice for icing shrimp. Immediate sanction of soft loan for ice plant where required.
■ Shrimp processing plant owner should supply plastic basket initially to their bonafied and licensed supplier, agent and depot owner for switching the present bamboo basket. (Such example existed in case of SAR & Co., Ltd.).
■ Introduction of landing center owned by processing plant and transportation of raw material through insulated van with proper icing.(Such examples existed in Chittagong region).
■ Immediate release of Government landing center’s incorporating proper facility for proper post harvest handling and care.
■ In major shrimp culture area construction of BSCIC estate accommodating all facility of shrimp culture, post harvest handling and care.
5. In plant management
■ Each processing plant should have a Research & Development cell to mitigate consumer’s demand and market requirement.
■ Processing plant should be ensured of uninterrupted electricity in the processing plant.
■ Immediate recruitment of permanent, trained and high salaried Cleaning Crews in every processing plant for implementation of proper hugiene practice.
■ Processors should conduct continuous marketing research and keep latest marketing information through internet and website.
■ To comply and implement of HACCP and Traceability system in all processing steps from harvesting to export through upgradation of in plant “own check” system.
■ To increase export earning through exporting more quality shrimp products through quality assurance and value addition.
6. Regulatory function:
■ Strict measures should be taken to maintain hygiene standard of shrimp by monitoring the quality standard from the point of harvest, through monitoring channels to the point of processing plants.
■ Auditing and verification of HACCP system is the requirement of importing country, immediately concerned department should take initiative.
■ Forbidden the use of Gunny bag, Hogla (Leaf) mat, Banana leaf and old bamboo baskets (Swab test indicated alarming condition).
■ The processors should accept raw material from the suppliers that has license from FIQC Department.
■ Effective measures should be taken to check the fraudulent practices, including contamination of shrimp by foreign materials. Local shrimp traders are alleged to be the agent of such contamination. Measures should be taken to shorten the supply chain and thereby minimize the role of the local shrimp traders.
■ Immediately issuance of license to the Depot, Landing center and Arot.
■ In Depot, Landing center and in Arot immediately implementation of regulatory needs.
■ Local business centers like ‘Set’ should be stopped immediately.
■ Horizontal and vertical expansion of shrimp culture, and planning of culture project “Gher” to optimize the production of raw material.
7. Extension and motivation:
■ Govt. may provide policy decision allowing reduced rate of bank interest for the seafood industry.
■ For image building of Bangladeshi product, worldwide discrimination of slogan that Bangladeshi shrimps reared in an eco-friendly environment.
■ Preparation and distribution of booklet, poster and brochure of shrimp in post harvest chain and display in peak season of harvest.
■ Govt. should take up national policy to develop modern infrastructure in shrimp farming and processing areas.
■ Govt. should launch immediately a shrimp processing plant technology and secondary school to produce educated worker for the processor/ plant.
■ Bangladesh Television should make a short film on hygienic handling of shrimp in post harvest chain and display in peak season of harvest.
■ Seminars and discussion meetings that will definitely play a vital role to harmonize with the international requirement in the product prepared for export.
8. Research activity
■ Further survey about the exact situation of handling shrimp in harvesting and landing centers throughout Bangladesh.
■ Identification of contamination steps to assess major steps where raw materials attain substandard quality in post harvest chain through case study.
■ Initiation of participatory research on vital areas entangling University, FIQC and Industry or BFFEA.
9. Training
■ Immediate launching of training program for the handler in harvest and post harvest chain.
■ More training needed for Quality Control personnel on risk assessment and creation of scope for their research degree such as M.Phil, M.S. and Ph.D.
■ Short exposure of Q.C. personnel in abroad specially in major seafood importing country to harmonize the testing procedures.
Fisheries technology has emerged as a dynamic sub-sector of the economy with a growth rate much in excess of other activities. The author would like to seek to attain the measurable through maximum and constant reproductivity, long term experience, vigorous research and development and the global umbrella of HACCP system. He would like to focus his entire creative capacity on providing service of the highest quality in order to ensure that Bangladeshi exportable value-added shrimp products contribute to humankind’s greatest nature asset: life and health. The author would like to contact the Competent Authority for providing hands on training to the technical personnel of shrimp processing plants to further raise the standard of processing quality and good microbiological & biochemical practice and to develop the preparation of various value added products of high demand and high value in the international market.
1. Product Tracing and Recall:
■ Management should ensure effective procedures are in place to effect the complete product tracing and rapid recall of any lot of fishery product from the market.
■ Appropriate records of processing, production and distribution should be kept and retained for a period that exceeds the shelf-life of the product.
■ Where there is a health hazard, products produced under similar conditions, are likely to present a similar hazard to public health, may be withdrawn. The need for public warnings should be considered.
■ Management should be determined that health and safety consumers is the driving force for the traceability and for this reason farm to fork approach is an effective tool to address food safety.
2. Control of Raw Material:
■ As shrimp producers and processors are legally bound to assess the safety of shrimp, their commercial viability and reputation also depend on their being able to consistently produce shrimp meeting their customers’ expectations. Raw material control must also ensure that the processor is able to meet all his “quality” objectives.
■ Processor must determine what characteristics of raw materials are important for ensuring an acceptable end product. In addition, a list of tests and exact testing methods should be used to determine the raw material compliance.
■ Food hygiene should be thought of as a process that beings at the level of the primary producer and ends once the food is consumed by the consumer. A supplier’s guarantee or vendor certification can be important part of processor’s strategy for ensuring the suitability of raw material. The frequency of raw material checks can be reduced as the processor gains confidence in any particular supplier.
3. Environmental Impact :
Some statistics of shrimp sector cause the environmental and social impacts which is in the form of mangrove destruction, salinity intrusion and loss of coastal and marine fisheries resource been pressing problem. The conversion of mangroves to shrimp farms and the by-products of the processing zone has far fetched implications on the nature as a whole. Furthermore, with the changes in the global export regimes, Bangladesh is threatened with a member of challenges for sustaining the shrimp industry. With the WTO regimes coming into effect and the imposition of SPS regulations, the impacts on the environment sector will be much more pronounced than ever before.
Environmental aspects should be tackled by awareness raising and supporting by products utilization as follows:
■ Recommending and implementation of environmental management and environment friendly technologies for the private sector.
■ Raise awareness on the positive economical impact of environment friendly shrimp rearing and processing methods as well as by-product utilization.
■ Conducting feasibility study on the use of shrimp shells and heads for added value products.
■ Assessing the sources of health hazardous antibiotics and drugs like Nitrofuran and Chloramphenicol as well as raising awareness on the negative impact of these substances and proposals of their replacement.
■ Training on environmental friendly farm water management avoiding eutropication.
■ Linking activities with other projects carry out by the government and/or other agencies, institutions and NGOs.
4. Infrastructure development:
■ Human resource development should be strengthened in order to implement HACCP system in all stages of the processing through various in-service training programs.
■ To improve the socio-economic condition of poor destitute people especially of the woman by creating employment opportunity.
■ Immediate expansion of Quality Control set up and manpower to extend extensive and motivation service upto field level.
■ To develop local depot to a higher standard in order to protect the product from contamination of the harvested raw materials during handling and transportation.
■ Basic survey of ice factory in and around major shrimp landing center is a vital need, water quality and area wise production capacity to combat the requirement of ice for icing shrimp. Immediate sanction of soft loan for ice plant where required.
■ Shrimp processing plant owner should supply plastic basket initially to their bonafied and licensed supplier, agent and depot owner for switching the present bamboo basket. (Such example existed in case of SAR & Co., Ltd.).
■ Introduction of landing center owned by processing plant and transportation of raw material through insulated van with proper icing.(Such examples existed in Chittagong region).
■ Immediate release of Government landing center’s incorporating proper facility for proper post harvest handling and care.
■ In major shrimp culture area construction of BSCIC estate accommodating all facility of shrimp culture, post harvest handling and care.
5. In plant management
■ Each processing plant should have a Research & Development cell to mitigate consumer’s demand and market requirement.
■ Processing plant should be ensured of uninterrupted electricity in the processing plant.
■ Immediate recruitment of permanent, trained and high salaried Cleaning Crews in every processing plant for implementation of proper hugiene practice.
■ Processors should conduct continuous marketing research and keep latest marketing information through internet and website.
■ To comply and implement of HACCP and Traceability system in all processing steps from harvesting to export through upgradation of in plant “own check” system.
■ To increase export earning through exporting more quality shrimp products through quality assurance and value addition.
6. Regulatory function:
■ Strict measures should be taken to maintain hygiene standard of shrimp by monitoring the quality standard from the point of harvest, through monitoring channels to the point of processing plants.
■ Auditing and verification of HACCP system is the requirement of importing country, immediately concerned department should take initiative.
■ Forbidden the use of Gunny bag, Hogla (Leaf) mat, Banana leaf and old bamboo baskets (Swab test indicated alarming condition).
■ The processors should accept raw material from the suppliers that has license from FIQC Department.
■ Effective measures should be taken to check the fraudulent practices, including contamination of shrimp by foreign materials. Local shrimp traders are alleged to be the agent of such contamination. Measures should be taken to shorten the supply chain and thereby minimize the role of the local shrimp traders.
■ Immediately issuance of license to the Depot, Landing center and Arot.
■ In Depot, Landing center and in Arot immediately implementation of regulatory needs.
■ Local business centers like ‘Set’ should be stopped immediately.
■ Horizontal and vertical expansion of shrimp culture, and planning of culture project “Gher” to optimize the production of raw material.
7. Extension and motivation:
■ Govt. may provide policy decision allowing reduced rate of bank interest for the seafood industry.
■ For image building of Bangladeshi product, worldwide discrimination of slogan that Bangladeshi shrimps reared in an eco-friendly environment.
■ Preparation and distribution of booklet, poster and brochure of shrimp in post harvest chain and display in peak season of harvest.
■ Govt. should take up national policy to develop modern infrastructure in shrimp farming and processing areas.
■ Govt. should launch immediately a shrimp processing plant technology and secondary school to produce educated worker for the processor/ plant.
■ Bangladesh Television should make a short film on hygienic handling of shrimp in post harvest chain and display in peak season of harvest.
■ Seminars and discussion meetings that will definitely play a vital role to harmonize with the international requirement in the product prepared for export.
8. Research activity
■ Further survey about the exact situation of handling shrimp in harvesting and landing centers throughout Bangladesh.
■ Identification of contamination steps to assess major steps where raw materials attain substandard quality in post harvest chain through case study.
■ Initiation of participatory research on vital areas entangling University, FIQC and Industry or BFFEA.
9. Training
■ Immediate launching of training program for the handler in harvest and post harvest chain.
■ More training needed for Quality Control personnel on risk assessment and creation of scope for their research degree such as M.Phil, M.S. and Ph.D.
■ Short exposure of Q.C. personnel in abroad specially in major seafood importing country to harmonize the testing procedures.
Fisheries technology has emerged as a dynamic sub-sector of the economy with a growth rate much in excess of other activities. The author would like to seek to attain the measurable through maximum and constant reproductivity, long term experience, vigorous research and development and the global umbrella of HACCP system. He would like to focus his entire creative capacity on providing service of the highest quality in order to ensure that Bangladeshi exportable value-added shrimp products contribute to humankind’s greatest nature asset: life and health. The author would like to contact the Competent Authority for providing hands on training to the technical personnel of shrimp processing plants to further raise the standard of processing quality and good microbiological & biochemical practice and to develop the preparation of various value added products of high demand and high value in the international market.
