In this issue
Deepwater Horizon – the consequences become apparent USA – The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the worst of its kind ever, caused huge damage to the marine ecosystem in the Gulf. Some of the destructive effects have been quantified, but much harder to calculate is the long term impact on marine flora and fauna of, not only the oil, but also the interventions used to combat the spill. For example, the chemical dispersants used to remove the oil from the surface, and the by-products from burning the oil, could well have unforeseen consequences for the local environment that may only become apparent well into the future. The fishing industry in the Gulf is relieved that chemical and sensory analysis of samples taken during and after the spill reveal that contamination does not pose a threat to consumers. However, the image of seafood from the Gulf has taken a huge knock and it will take time and a substantial marketing effort to reverse the damage. Read Dr Manfred Klinkhardt’s article on page 45
PathogenCombat – Companies in the food manufacturing sector use food safety management systems to reduce the risk that the products they make will pose a hazard to consumers. These systems vary widely across the industry depending on the product, but they all comply with the legal requirements and standards that are common to their particular branch. But how effective are these systems? In the European research project, Pathogen Combat, scientists have devised a technique to analyse company food safety management systems. The tool helps to identify weak points and can thereby contribute to improving the system. It does this by distinguishing between three basic control strategies for pathogenic activity, prevention, intervention, and monitoring. While prevention aims to stop the entry, spread, or multiplication of pathogens, intervention applies to the measures used to inactivate or eliminate pathogens that have entered the chain. Finally, monitoring provides information on the current status of the system and enables individual processes to be corrected. Read more on page 49
Fisheries certification – The Marine Stewardship Council is today a byword in the sustainable certification of fish stocks. Dozens of fisheries have been certified to the MSC standards and over 9,000 products carry the MSC logo certifying that they are derived from stocks that are sustainably managed. While the MSC sets the standards, the actual certification work is carried out by independent agencies called certification bodies. These bodies translate the MSC standards into practical measurable terms, which are used to define the working practices in the client’s operations. The certification process also takes into account the view of the other stakeholders to formulate as clear and objective a picture as possible of both the fishing operation itself and the context in which it operates. Read more on how fisheries are certified to the MSC standard on page 52
Fraud in the seafood sector – While mistakes can and often do occur when trading in seafood, deliberate attempts at defrauding partners is also something with which traders occasionally must contend. Dishonesty can involve a product that is underweight, of poorer quality, or for which the buyer does not wish to pay – there are countless ways of perpetrating fraud. The astute businessman will however try to avoid problems from cropping up in the first place rather than trying to solve them afterwards. Some measures are easily taken, such as independent pre-inspection of the goods to verify quality and quantity. Others are more complex, and how does a buyer react if he is the injured party? Read the next part of our column on fraud by Alexei Sergeev page 55 www.eurofishmagazine.com
Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2011
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