Veterinary Services Division hosts Chinese spiny lobster audit delegation

Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding by the Government with the People’s Republic of China in September 2017 for the export of spiny lobsters to China, a five-man delegation from China is currently on a three-day visit to Jamaica to conduct an audit of the processes of the industry.
Speaking at a meeting held at the Veterinary Services Division (VSD) in St. Andrew on February 26, Ning Wang, Director of Food Safety Division 4, Import and Export Food Safety Bureau, Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine in China, said the audit would include observation of the processing, packaging and loading of lobsters as well as an evaluation of the operations of the industry’s monitoring programme and the types of tests carried out by the VSD’s laboratories.
Chief Veterinary Officer at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr. Osbil Watson, said he was happy that China, which is one of Jamaica’s largest trading partners, was considering importing Jamaica’s spiny lobster and looked forward to an expansion to other fishery products.
In order to permit the export of Jamaican live lobsters to China, hygiene, sanitation and certification matters are required to be examined to allow for cooperation between Jamaica and China on sanitary and phytosanitary issues.
Among the main objectives of the MOU are to prevent the entry and spread of pests and epidemic diseases of animals and plants into one country from the other; to protect from disease the production of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery resources; and to strengthen bilateral exchange and cooperation in the field of the entry and exit of animal and plant inspection and quarantine.
The signing of this MOU paves the way for duly licensed Jamaican fishery processing establishments to be able to export live lobsters to China and Jamaican lobster exporters are hoping that through this MOU they will see a doubling of their exports.
-30-