1.
TITLE: WORLD: FAO WARNS OVER POSSIBLE SHARK EXTINCTION IN CENTRAL AMERICAN
WATERS
ACCESSION NUMBER: 076170
SECTION: Bio Resources (20), Protected Species (25), Landings (9), Price
Information (2).
COMMODITY: OTHERS.
SPECIES: SHARK.
PRODUCTS: FIN.
COUNTRY: NICARAGUA, CENTRAL AMERICA, COSTA RICA, SPAIN, EUROPE.
SOURCE: PRENSA LATINA - 2008-01-28
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UN-FAO)
announced that the ongoing exploitation of shark by-catch in Central American
waters is decimating the species. The international entity described the practice
as one where only shark fins are targetted and cut while the rest of the live animal
is tossed back into the sea. The fins are known to fetch high prices on Asian
markets. The slump in the lobster and shrimp harvest in the last year further
exacerbated the situation as fishers increasingly turned to shark finning, FAO
officials state. “According to the experts, some species have already disappeared
and others are on the border of extinction. We have not even been able to study
these species in our waters, as other more commercially popular species outranked
them in terms of research priorities,” explained Luis Enrique Velasquez from the
Research Centre for Fisheries and Aquaculture (CIPA), a branch of the Nicaraguan
Institute for Fisheries and Aquaculture (INPESCA). The researcher believes the
decline in other popular fisheries stocks incited the major fishing companies to
demand shark fins for export. These are typically used to prepare soup in Asia.
Moreover, neighbouring countries Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica each
possess an official shark finning industry, as opposed to Nicaragua where no such
authorisation exists. Velasquez particularly advised against further exploitation
of the endangered bull shark, a fresh water species that inhabits the waters of
Lake Nicaragua o Cocibolca. International experts describe the status of the
resource as being “extremely delicate, with some species already endangered,”
including the bull, the lemon and hammerhead, Prensa Latina reports. A kilogramme
of shark fins in Costa Rica can exact a price of up to US$ 50 - its body meat is
only worth US$ 2 per kilogramme. In Asian countries, the commercial value of shark
fin per kilogramme can run as high as US$ 700. Environmentalists are especially
concerned about Ecuadorian stocks; they insist the impact of shark fin harvesting
for trade and export is irreparable, considering the lack of an adequate resource
management control system. Oceana, the international organisation dedicated to
the conservation and protection of the world’s oceans, last year pointed to Spain
as the European country that most heavily impacted the world’s shark population
in being behind the kills of more than 350 000 sharks per year. According to FAO
data analysed by Oceana, Spain harvested nearly 30 000 tonnes of shark in 2005
and ranked fifth as globe's biggest shark fin producer, first in the EU.
2.
TITLE: NICARAGUA: INPESCA PROMOTES HIGHER INTAKE OF FISH
ACCESSION NUMBER: 075765
SECTION: Consumption/Nutrition (13), Production (10).
COMMODITY: GENERAL.
COUNTRY: NICARAGUA, CENTRAL AMERICA.
SOURCE: LA PRENSA (NICARAGUA)/ESMERK - 2007-12-08
The Nicaraguan fishing and aquaculture authority, Inpesca, has been
promoting a campaign encouraging domestic fish consumption. Nicaragua is believed
to rank amongst the countries recording the lowest fish consumption levels in the
Latin American region, according to the Nicaraguan Fishing Chamber (Capenic). It
is estimated that only 4% of the domestic production of fish and related products
is consumed locally. In total, fish consumption currently amounts to less than
5kg per person per year, although it is aimed that this figure increases to at
least 15kg.
3.
TITLE: EU: REPORT ON MISSION TO NICARAGUA SAYS CONTROL SYSTEM INEFFECTIVE
ACCESSION NUMBER: 074303
SECTION: Trade Regulations (7), Quality Control (22), Exports (11), Imports (12).
COMMODITY: GENERAL.
COUNTRY: NICARAGUA, CENTRAL AMERICA, EU, EUROPE.
SOURCE: FISHFILESLITE - 2007-05-31
The Food and Veterinary Office of DG SANCO reported on a mission to Nicaragua
in November 2006, with regard to meeting the conditions for supply of fishery
products to the EU market. The mission found that there were several deficiencies
in legislation relating to traceability, additives, registration of aquaculture
farms, and residue controls and monitoring. There was a lack of follow up of
negative inspection findings, and establishments were approved for EU export with
no HACCP plan. Hygiene conditions in several establishments were found to be
defective. There was also evidence of contamination of water with faecal matter,
which was not followed up by inspectors. There was no monitoring programme for
contaminants in wild fish and shrimp, and tests for some important banned
substances were not conducted in aquaculture products. Laboratories were not
accredited. The mission concluded that the control system was ineffective and that
the decisions of the Competent Authority cannot be considered to be reliable.
Guarantees were sought that the outstanding issues would be addressed through an
action plan to be submitted to the Commission, but there was no recommendation
that Nicaragua should then be listed on Annex 1.
4.
TITLE: EU QUESTIONS HEALTH CONTROLS ON FISHERIES PRODUCTS
ACCESSION NUMBER: 074007
SECTION: Trade Regulations (7), Quality Control (22), Exports (11), Imports (12),
Health Aspects (32).
COMMODITY: SHRIMP, LOBSTER.
COUNTRY: NICARAGUA, CENTRAL AMERICA, EU, EUROPE.
SOURCE: EFE - 2007-05-14
The European Commission (EC) considers health controls applied on Nicaraguan
fishery and aquaculture products are “ineffective” and do not comply with the
requirements demanded by the European economic bloc, according to a report released
by the EC, drafted by a group of experts at the EU Foods and Veterinary Office
resulting from their having visited Nicaragua in November 2006. The report’s
conclusions released in Brussels took the Nicaraguan private sector by surprise.
Representatives of the private sector stated they will shortly analyse the issues
questioned by the authorities at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAGFOR),
which is responsible of supervising the controls pointed out by the EU. The EU
inspectors deem that there are shortcomings in areas such as fishing vessel plans,
contamination of waters, ice, and products, reported the EFE. The report recommends
Nicaragua present a plan of action, to ensure that the EU norms are complied with
on aquaculture operations, so that their products are adequate for
commercialisation in the EU market. Furthermore, they suggest that improvements
be made such as the use of fresh water to eliminate the contaminated parts of the
animal products at the foods companies. The EU inspectors recommend that the
country start up a waste programme, and that vessels and companies licensed to
export to the EU comply with community legislation. According to 2006’s statistics,
Nicaraguan fisheries and aquaculture exports generated more than US$ 85 million.
The most important markets were the EU and the USA. Shrimp sales totalled US$ 47.5
million, of which US$ 20.1 million came from Spain and US$ 23.4 million from the
USA. Lobster exports reported US$ 38.2 million in returns, of which US$ 34.2 million
came from the USA and US$ 2.8 million from Belgium.
5.
TITLE: NICARAGUA: EU QUESTIONS CONTROLS ON FISHING INDUSTRY
ACCESSION NUMBER: 073936
SECTION: Trade Regulations (7), Quality Control (22), Exports (11).
COMMODITY: SHRIMP, LOBSTER.
COUNTRY: NICARAGUA, CENTRAL AMERICA, EU, EUROPE.
SOURCE: LA PRENSA (NICARAGUA)/ESMERK - 2007-05-11
It has emerged that the EU has questioned the health controls imposed on
fish products in Nicaragua. According to a report issued by the European Commission
and conducted by a group of experts that visited the country in November 2006,
such controls are ineffective and they fail to guarantee that local fish exports
comply with quality standards required by the EU. Given the situation, the
commission has recommended Nicaragua to submit an action plan to ensure that EU
requirements are met. The domestic fishing industry has expressed surprise about
the findings of the report adding that it intends to discuss them with the Ministry
of Farming and Forestry (Magfor). Total exports of fish and fish farming products
from Nicaragua amounted to over US$ 85 million (EUR 62.28 million) in 2006, with
the main destinations including the USA and the EU. It is estimated that revenues
for the export of shrimp totalled US$ 47.5 million, whereas exports of lobster
reached US$ 38.2 million.