Namibia to Export Fish, Beef to China

A Chinese food safety supervising body has signed two memorandum of understanding for fish and beef exports with its Namibian counterpart, enabling Namibia to export fish and beef to China in the following several years.

Yang Gang, visiting Vice Minister of China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), signed the memorandum with Namibia's Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry on April 23, 2013.

Namibia and China signed an agreement on animal health and quarantine cooperation in December 2011 and then officials from AQSIQ visited Namibia to inspect fish meal and fish oil facilities before issuing out an Inspection Report on April 15, 2013.

In addition, China issued a Cooperation Agreement on Safety Assurance in the Import of Aquatic Products which entails monitoring of diseases on certified exporting aquaculture farms.

Seven processing facilities and five factories involved in fish meal and fish oil products were inspected and registered for export until December 2017.

Prior to the signing of the agreement, the parties discussed protocols on the lifting of the mouth and foot disease on exports of cloven hoofed animals and related products, protocol on export health certificates for export of fish meal and fish oil to China as well as the protocol on quality and safety assurance for export of aquatic products.

Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Dr. Samuel Ankama said Namibia had successfully facilitated export of fish meal and fish oil to China to enable commencement of exporting fishery products for human consumption.

"I would, therefore, like to encourage our Namibia officials to expedite the process and have these documents finalized as soon as possible," Dr. Ankama said.

Yang Gang said China has no qualms with fish meal and fish oil exports from Namibia but stressed that various issues regarding health and safety have to be resolved first.