[Photo: File]
Fiji’s fish exporters must meet strict safety and quality requirements before entering the European Union market, placing greater responsibility on regulatory officers to ensure every approved vessel and processing facility complies with the rules.
Fiji Competent Authority representative Jotivini Matanikilagi says officers must stay up to date with changing EU regulations to ensure exporters meet all requirements before being approved to export.
She adds that officers are responsible for monitoring the entire supply chain, from fishing vessels and landing sites to cold storage, processing and final export.
She says this includes inspections, audits, sampling and traceability checks to ensure fish products are safe for human consumption.
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“This is basically on us as CA officers. The challenge is on us to ensure our company maintains that full compliance before we list them to the EU. I think I have already mentioned that the full compliance to be listed for EU export or excess market.”
Matanikilagi is attending a two-week workshop organized by the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency under an EU-funded programme.
The training aims to help officers better understand their roles and apply regulations consistently.
She says the training will also help officers identify gaps in their knowledge, strengthen their skills and guide new officers when they return to work.
Matanikilagi says keeping up with regulatory changes is essential, as officers must clearly communicate new requirements to businesses and ensure continued compliance.