10 food inspectors and 13 fish industry representatives were trained to control and maintain good hygiene conditions while landing and processing marine fish - Black Sea anchovies. The activity was carried out by FAO-Georgia to move forward the food safety standards to meet EU requirements.

Georgia has considerable marine fisheries resources, particularly Black Sea anchovies, with an annual catch of 60 000 metric tonnes. Most of the fish is sold fresh to Turkey or is processed into fish meal and oil. Georgia wants to export directly to the European Union (EU), but the EU Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) Mission in 2010, identified a number of deficiencies in the fish inspection and certification system and laboratories, as well as gaps in the legislation.

In this respect, Georgia set up a plan with EU to harmonize the Georgian and EU legislation for foodstuffs by 2021, and approached FAO for technical assistance. A Technical Cooperation Project (TCP) was formulated to strengthen the National Food Agency (NFA), the Laboratory of Ministry of Agriculture and the fishery industry.

The training in Poti served to enhance the competency of inspectors in monitoring and controlling the hygiene at the landing sites and fish processing factories located nearby the sea.

As part of the assessment of the landing sites, the participants visited two fishing vessels. Fish inspectors were provided with the relevant EU legislation materials and checklists for performing profound inspection at the landing sites. As a part of the practical training, an inspection simulation was performed.

''Having a hands-on training was a wonderful opportunity for me and for all of my colleague inspectors. We practically examined the fishing vessels, fish storages and processing equipment. Especially, I want to thank our trainers Ms Esther GarridoGamarro and Mr Ruggero Urbani for giving us the ready-to-use checklists which are very valuable for conducting the quality inspection of the fish products,'' said Tinatin Kevkhishvili, Chief Specialist-inspector of the NFA Department of Food and Inspection.

Another part of the practical training took place at the anchovy processing factory for anchovy processors. Basic hygienic principles were introduced to the fish industry representatives for processing salted and marinated anchovies.

''The salted anchovies will need some time to mature before being ready for consumption,'' said Jogeir Toppe, Lead Technical Officer of the project, ''What surprised the participants of the training was the relatively simple process and the excellent taste and quality of the product they made.''

Toppe thinks that the issue of food safety is urgent, especially if the country plans to export fish products. ''Georgia has to prove that it has a system in place to ensure the fish products are safe to be eaten,'' he noted.

Four day training was finalized with the closing ceremony. The participants were awarded with the certificates of attendance.
Aforementioned activity in Poti, in November 2015, was the second phase of training of the NFA inspectors and fish processors, as the complementary to earlier conducted trainings. First phase of trainings was carried out in September 2014.

Three-day theoretical workshop was followed by field visit to Marshe, a food processing company, which processes fish products, amongst others. Inspectors gained both theoretical and practical skills to better implement inspection of the processing establishments to meet sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) obligations of international market requirements for fish and fishery products.