Back to main page

FI-808

V Expert Consultation on Fish Technology in Latin America and the Caribbean

Punta del Este, Uruguay, 3-7 December 2001

Hector M. Lupin, F.A.O. (FIIU)

Summary

The V Expert Consultation on Fish Technology in Latin America and the Caribbean was held at the meeting room of Remanso Hotel, Punta del Este, Uruguay from 3 to 7 December 2001. The meeting was convened to identify and discuss the main developments in the area of fish technology and safety since the last Expert Consultation (December 1998) of interest to the Region and, in support of the network on co-operative fish technology development in Latin America and the Caribbean (REDPESCA). The meeting was organised by FAO (FIIU , Regular Programme) assisted by the Fishery Institute, University of Uruguay (UDELAR), in the name of the Government of Uruguay and INFOPESCA as support of co-operating networks in the Region. The meeting was attended by a total of 35 professionals. Eight participants, selected by FAO, came from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela; 22 observers came from Argentina (4), Brazil (6), Chile (3) and Uruguay (7), and INFOPESCA (2); three resource persons, and two FIIU staff members. In addition there were two administrative from the local organising committee (UDELAR). Participants elected Dr. Enrique Bertullo (UDELAR) as president of the Technical Consultation and Ms. Aurora Zugarramurdi (CITEP-CEMSUR, Argentina as Vice-President). The Consultation was divided in the following Sessions:

  1. HACCP implementation in the fishery industry of the region.

  2. Risk Analysis and its relation with the fishery industry.

  3. Advances in the utilisation of small pelagics for direct human consumption in the region.

  4. Development of value-added products.

  5. Co-operation between institutes and countries of the region. Co-operation networks.

    6. The procedure adopted by this Consultation was to initiate the Sessions with the presentation of relevant research and development documents. In the case of the 5th session, some reports were presented. Presentations were followed by periods of questions and answers. During that periods a number of key issues of common interest were identified for further discussion. The key issues identified were then discussed in a guided Symposium (one for each Session) that allowed the drawing of useful conclusions and recommendations. A total of 20 (twenty) R&D papers were presented by participants and observers. In addition there were presented reports on: Utilisation of small pelagics in Peru (TCP/PER/8924); Functioning of the co-operative networks sponsored by FAO and INFOPESCA (REDPESCA, Quality Control & Inspection and Women in Fisheries); and MERCOSUR + Chile Sanitary Committee on Fishery Products. In addition a Seminar on value-added Products was conducted in addition to the Session and Symposium on the same subject. Main points each session could be resumed as follows:

    1. HACCP implementation in the fishery industry of the region. Recognising that enormous efforts and advances have been performed in the Region, in the area of HACCP implementation, by competent authorities and the fishery industry, it was the general opinion that still there are areas that deserve further attention. In general HACCP implementation was reputed uneven in the region and whereas some countries have a relatively higher development other struggles to achieve a proper level to retain markets in the EU and USA. HACCP implementation was also reputed uneven within countries with a large number of professionals and industry people not trained properly. The need of applied research to develop proper critical limits, and the linkage with economics was also underlined. In particular participants identified and recommended further work in the following areas: (i) introduction of HACCP for internal markets; (ii) HACCP on-board of fishing vessels, (iii) verification and internal HACCP audit procedures and, (iv) further proper training on HACCP, in particular aimed to owners and managers (HACCP requires proper commitment).

    2. Risk Analysis and its relation with the fishery industry. Participants analysed recent development and tendencies in the development of Risk Analysis and in general concluded that more information and formation (training) is needed in this area in the Region. Most participants felt that current developments in the area of Microbiological Risk Assessment (MRA) are still far from practical applications. The experts recommended governments and industry to pay more attention to the current developments on risk assessment for their practical implications. Whereas there is the need for a more scientific and technical based understanding of hazards and risk, experts warned that the use of partial, or difficult to analyse technical information, may eventually lead to non-tariff barriers. Participants also concluded that there is the need to link developments in risk analysis, in particular risk assessment and risk management, with the process of HACCP implementation in course. Experts also recommended the need to for inspection services and industry to link with epidemiology services and webs in the Region for a more appropriated knowledge of relevant hazards at national and regional level. A more in depth knowledge of local hazards, in particular was highlighted the need to classify the existing information in terms of the categories of risk assessment, risk management and risk communication.

    3. Advances in the utilisation of small pelagics for direct human consumption in the region. Participants recognised that this is one of the classical subjects on fish technology in the region where not large advances are recorded despite a number of efforts performed in the past. New technologies for the utilisation of small pelagics and new knowledge on spoilage and handling were discussed. Participants continue to have the view that small pelagics have a large potential to address food security aspects in some countries of the region. However, in the current situation the whole economics of the exploitation (with the possible exception of some coastal artisanal fleets) makes such contribution unfeasible from the economic point of view. Current efforts to supply small pelagics to local populations supporting initially distribution and marketing from artisanal fleets, as the one proposed by TCP/PER/8924, were found promising.

    4. Development of value-added products. This was the area on which experts had expressed, in advance, that existed more interest at national level, in different countries of the region. A number of companies have during the last years started to enter the value-added fish markets in main importing countries, and also in home countries. However, a number of difficulties, of different nature have appeared, including technical and marketing difficulties. The CFC/ FAO/ INFOPESCA project carried out in Brazil and Argentina provided a useful base for discussion. Even concluding that the production of fish value-added products is not just a technical problem, participants recommended inter alia: (i) the need to improve and strength the relationship between R&D institutes and the fishery industry with the purpose of development of value-added products (the activities of some of the institutes of the region in this sense was exposed and discussed); (ii) R&D institutes could assist the industry not only on technical terms but also in the technical-economic interface and in marketing aspects (what R&D institutes can not assist is in sales); (iii) value-added products requires of increased productivity control to become "profit-added" for producers, this in turn requires of increased and more updated production cost and cash flow control; (iv) "value-added" products require of an increased and continuously updated market intelligence, very different from that necessary to sale commodities; (v) therefore to move from "commodity" production to "value-added" production requires of a deep change of mentality in the entrepreneurs, training of entrepreneurs of the middle and small industry is in this sense absolutely necessary to avoid frustration and wastage of capital and efforts, both private and public; (vi) to pay special attention to value-added products for the internal markets first; (vii) the development and place on the market of fish value added products present in some countries particular difficulties from the regulatory point of view (e.g. composed products of fish and vegetables) that should be studied and solved.

  6. Co-operation between institutes and countries of the region. Co-operation networks. One of the main objectives of the Expert Consultation is to see ways to enhance and expand the TCDC between the countries of the regions and within the R&D institute in the area of fish technology. Brief reports from the existing networks sponsored by FAO (REDPESCA, Quality Control and Inspection (CC&I) and Network of Women in Fisheries) were presented. A report of the Ibero-American of Seafood Technology (RITAP-CYTED), financed as a part of a larger programme by Spain and Latin American countries was also presented. Participants recognised that the networks have indeed contributed to a number of useful bilateral and multilateral activities that now develop by themselves; among the examples mentioned that materialised since the last Expert Consultation were the following: "MERCOSUR + Chile Technical Committee on Hygiene and Safety of Fish Products" (a brief report was presented during the meeting); the bilateral agreement between the Institute of Food Science and Technology (ICTA) of the Central University of Venezuela and the National Institute of Research of Amazonian (INPA, Brazil); the RITAP-CYTED network, the CFC/FAO/INFOPESCA project on fish value-added products and some "ad-hoc" activities performed between institutes in the region. During the last years a South-South action was started and the nets, in particular REDPESCA and CC&I are expanding to incorporate members in other regions in particular from Portuguese speaking countries of Africa. Participants underlined that all this activities were definitely fostered by the networks and the successive FAO Expert Consultations on Fish Technology and activities associated with them. However, participants underlined that funds received either from FAO or from other sources (including national governments, INFOPESCA or RITAP-CYTED) were reduced and that the networks were unable to become self-sustained as envisaged. Participants argued that, in part this is due to the economic difficulties that face more of the countries of the region, and this restricted the overall impact of the network activities. Recommendations were as follows: (i) to continue with network activities, co-ordinating activities as much as possible and interconnecting them (e.g. at web level in a single portal for FAO sponsored networks); (ii) as a task for REDPESCA and CC&I to explore the possibility to recover material of interest in Spanish and in the Portuguese and to make it available through the portal (eventually to edit a CD-ROM), a possible candidate for this would be EU and USA HACCP regulations regarding fish and fish products; (iii) to continue with the efforts to gain further network members in the region and outside; (iv) to ask for a continued support from FAO (HQ and Regional Office) and (v) participants nominated Prof. Makie Kodaira (Central University of Venezuela, Caracas), as co-ordinator of REDPESCA for the next period (till the next FAO Expert Consultation in the 2003-4).