11. The study tour was attended by 1 representative from Bangladesh, 2 from China, 1 from Hong Kong, 2 from India, 2 from Indonesia, 2 from Korea (DPR), 1 from Korea (Rep.), 1 from Malaysia, 2 from the Philippines, 1 from Sri Lanka, 2 from Thailand and 2 from Vietnam all senior government planners/economists and technical personnel with experience in molluscs culture and sanitation.
12. In addition to the 19 country participants, personnel from the Institut Francais de Recherche pour 1 Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), France-Aquaculture, Agence pour la Cooperation Technique Industrielle et Economique (ACTIM) also participated.
13. Personnel who participated in the workshop included the resource persons who presented status reports on the mollusc industries in their respective countries (Dr. Pasquale Fatigato, Italy; Dr. Renger Dijkema, Netherlands; Dr. Martine Antona, France; and Dr. Josep Amengual i Ferragut, Spain); FAO Fishery Department experts Dr. Erhard Ruckers and Dr. Carlos Lima dos Santos; and NACA and Seafarming project personnel.
The names and addresses of all the participants appear in Annex I.
14. Study tour. The programme of activities consisted of a study tour of establishements in France concerned with mollusc research, production, depuration and sanitation, processing and quality control, and marketing.
15. Workshop. Three-day workshop.
Annex II contains the specific activities undertaken, sites visited and lecture topics for the study tour as well as the workshop.
16. The Workshop was opened by the Coordinator of the Seafarming Project, Mr. Chen Foo Yan. He briefed the participants on the background of NACA, its functions and role on the improvement and development of the aquaculture industry in the South East Asian and Pacific regions.
17. He stressed that NACA also provides assistance for undertaking feasibility studies, formulation of national aquaculture projects and their implementation within the scope of its resources.
18. Mr. Chen also thanked the French Government for providing funding support for the organization of the study tour and workshop on the sanitation and marketing of molluscs. He extended his gratitude on behalf of NACA to IFREMER, ACTIM, France-Aquaculture and their personnel as well as the FAO resources personnel and technical staff members for the organization and conduct of the study tour and workshop.
19. The Asian participants and the resource persons gave a status report on the mollusc industry in their countries and indicated the priority problems and needs of the industry.
20. FRANCE. Ms. Martine Antona presented a paper on the marketing of shellfish in France, which included the structures of production, commercialization, and its marketing systems. She also discussed and compared the marketing practices of Holland, Spain and France.
21. NETHERLANDS. Dr. Renger Dijkema reported the marketing strategies for mussels in the Netherlands. He also discussed the sanitary measures enforced in the country. He indicated that sanitary quality of water is above the acceptable level so that there is no need for purification activities. The Netherlands is below sea level and the run-off of freshwater does not go directly to the sea. There has been no problem of occurrence of Coliforms. Limited occurrence may be due to seagull droppings which might contain some level of Coliforms.
22. ITALY. Dr. Pasquale Fatigato presented a comprehensive report on the Italian shellfish production; development of mussel and oyster culture both in natural fisheries and open seas. He emphasized on the sanitary rules and regulations which aim to guarantee the hygiene of the mussels for human consumption. Such hygiene and sanitary regulations are based on the criteria of origin, depuration, packaging, transport, preservation and sale of the products. The problems encountered are lack of quality standardization acceptable in the international level and lack of sales points in the retail distribution of molluscs.
23. SPAIN. Dr. Josep Amengual i Ferragut presented the culture methods adopted in his country, and the sanitation techniques enforced to ensure product quality. He emphasized that installation of depuration plants resulted to the increase in production and consumption. However, pollution problems have affected Spain's fishery industry. This is due mainly to the increasing number of industrial establishments along coastal areas; human contamination from tourists which resulted to a high bacteriological contamination. Pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals are affecting the marine ecosystem. He therefore stressed the need to establish measures to assure quality and hygiene in bivalves. He informed the workshop that researchers are now studying new methods to treat and eliminate viruses in shellfish. The marketing scheme of mussels in Spain was also described.
24. BANGLADESH. The participant from Bangladesh, Mr. Shamsuddin Elias, reported that sanitary regulations with regard to mollusc handling, transport, consumption, etc. are limited if they exist at all. Bivalves collected from natural fisheries are not depurated before being marketed. However, there are plans to establish a shellfish sanitation programme like certifying areas as suitable for harvesting of shellfish and prohibiting harvests from polluted waters. With regard to mollusc consumption in Bangladesh, he said that the population is beginning to appreciate the importance of utilizing fish products to augment the food supply resources in the country.
25. CHINA. The participants from China, Mr. Qiao Qing-Ling and Mr. Li Jun, presented the sanitation regulations and marketing strategies of molluscs in their country. Mr. Qiao Qing-Ling said that mollusc sanitation in China is an important issue in the development of this seafarming industry. Rules and regulations regarding the sanitation of these marine filter feeders have been set up and standards formulated by the government and by local enterprises. Such regulations are mainly on the catching and marketing of shellfish from areas where intestinal diseases have occurred and from polluted areas.
26. HONG KONG. The participant from Hong Kong, Mr. Mok Tai Kwan, reported on the sanitation aspects regulating the mollusc industry. He said that locally produced molluscs are usually cooked before being eaten. Health hazards due to bacterial contamination occurs when they are half-cooked or when they are gathered and cultured in sewage polluted areas. No depuration practices are applied to remove pathogenic bacteria prior to sale. The government is considering setting up a depuration facility to control the occurrence of health hazards. Mr. Mok also described the marketing channels of mollusc products. The low supply of locally produced molluscs does not meet the Hong Kong demand and substantial quantities of fresh, chilled, frozen, salted and dry molluscs are imported from nearby countries. He said there is need to improve marketing strategies and processing procedures such as quality control and standards, transportation and utilization of these products. The introduction of depuration and other public health measures would contribute indirectly to the growth of the mollusc industry in the country and region.
27. INDIA. The participants from India, Dr. V.V. Sugunan and Dr. X.M.E. Rajapandian discussed the proper management of shellfish sanitation which, according to them, largely depends on the development of a systematic and continuous programme of monitoring of the grow-out grounds of shellfish and formulation of suitable and economically viable systems to control pollution in their habitats. They said that attention must be made to utilize the inherent physiological intricacies of the bivalves to enable the animals to use their own detoxification mechanisms to ward off metal ion concentrations. More effective and inexpensive techniques of depuration should be undertaken along the coastal areas to ensure the quality of the molluscan products. Depuration procedures will have to be coded and declared mandatory. The metal residues in the product must be assessed and standard limits prescribed.
28. INDONESIA. The participants from Indonesia, Mr. Untung Wahyono and Mr. Muhammand Murdjani, informed that efforts are ongoing to improve the quality of mollucs for safe human consumption by introducing and developing a commercially viable depuration technology. They believe that a national sanitation programme would ultimately promote mollusc consumption in the country. They also informed that mollusc marketing strategies are still in an infant stage of development.
29. DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA. The participant of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Mr. O In Bon, reported on the status of mollusc culture in the country. The government of Korea DPR. has assisted in the development of the national mollusc industry. There is a preference for molluscan shellfish products.
30. REPUBLIC OF KOREA. The participant of the Republic of Korea, Mr. Yoon Ho Dong, made a concise presentation of the mollusc industry in his country. He informed the Workshop that the sanitation principles of the bacteriological quality of the Blue Belts in Korea Rep. agree with that of the Approved Standards in the United States of America; the bacteriological quality of seawater for harvesting shellfish are in accordance with the US standards. He emphasized that the bacteriological quantity of shellfish and fishery products for exports should also meet the US standards. However, there are few incidence of food poisoning caused by heavy metals. Steps have been taken by the government to control such health hazard outbreaks. The government has been doing some survey in the content of residual pesticides. He stressed that government permit is required for culturing molluscs. The government should also be responsible for regulating the discharge of sewage, radioactive and other toxic wastes from boats in the vicinity of approved shellfish growing areas.
31. MALAYSIA. The participant of Malaysia, Mr. Ong Kah Sin, informed that the government is currently developing aquaculture into a major industry and is providing support services and programmes pertaining to bivalve production and sanitation on research and development of bivalve production, development of a depuration system, monitoring of pollutants in shellfish and safeguard environmental quality, and sanitary standards and resource conservation. He concluded by supporting the short and long term goals of the above programme.
32. PHILIPPINES. The participants from the Philippines, Ms. Flor F. Abella and Mr. Renato F. Agbayani, presented a comprehensive paper on the mollusc industry in the country, including culture systems, marketing and distribution channels, pricing schemes and post-harvest techniques. Two major agencies are concerned with quality control and inspection of fish and fishery products: the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) institutes guidelines on fresh, frozen and chilled fishery products; the Department of Health - Bureau of Food and Drug Administration takes responsibility on the dried, canned and other processed fishery products. Some incidence of shellfish poisoning have occurred in the country. Recently there was an outbreak of “red tide” caused by dinoflagellates which prompted the creation of an inter-agency committee composed of four government agencies to undertake close monitoring and surveillance on the areas affected by the “red tide”. A ban to catch shellfish in the affected areas was enforced. Regular sampling was undertaken to determine the level of toxins present in shellfish.
33. SRI LANKA. The participant from Sri Lanka, Ms. Nalini Chinivagasam, emphasized on the sanitary measures and other practices to monitor and enforce quality control of molluscan products. She informed the Workshop that in Sri Lanka there is limited control on the natural growing sites and harvested products. This is due to the non-enforcement of sanitary standards for most of the local fish/fishery products and the absence of an established export market. As far as the export industry is concerned measures are undertaken by the Sri Lanka Standards Institution and the National Aquatic Resources Agency (NARA) in enforcing their national standards on all export fishery products. These standards are prepared in consultation with various research agencies, universities and personnel directly involved in the respective industries. At present dried molluscan products are marketed. There is further need to carry out promotion and marketing campaigns to enhance the development of the industry.
34. THAILAND. The participants from Thailand, Mr. S. Sahavacharin and Ms. P. Hanvivatanakit, reported on the existing mollusc culture techniques and marketing channels and strategies, respectively. A description of the cultured species and methods was presented underlying major problems affecting production increase. Problems related to environmental pollution and occurrence of heavy metal were also mentioned. The marketing system for molluscs in Thailand was comprehensively presented. Producers, wholesalers and retailers play a major role in the system. The marketing infrastructure presents no major problem. The problems are associated with lack of supply and lack of demand for some products during certain periods. As far as the export market is concerned, it was underlined that standards must be set in order to promote the marine products abroad.
35. VIETNAM. The participant from Vietnam, Mr. Nguyen The Anh, informed the Workshop that the mollusc industry in Vietnam is still in its infant stage. As far as the sanitation is concerned, there is not much pollution because of the absence of industrial establishments along the coastline. The raw material is processed in accordance with the requirements of the processor.
The country status reports appear as Annexes III–XVIII
