Saudi Arabia lifts ban on Indian seafood imports, insists on stricter quality control tests.

Saudi Arabia has lifted the ban on the import of fish and other sea products from India. The ban was imposed a few years ago on seafood items from a number of countries affected by cholera. Vibrio cholera, a type of pathogen, which was detected in samples exported from India and other south Asian countries. According to reports, recently a delegation from Saudi Arabia visited seafood processing centres in India and held discussions with the officials of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) and Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI). The delegation was reportedly impressed with the arrangements made by the Indian seafood industry for maintaining international quality standards following which the ban was lifted.

Saudi Arabia has lifted the ban by adopting stricter quality control on exports to the country. A health certificate as mentioned in the handbook of the import of food stuff through the exit points of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, issued by a competent authority, should be enclosed with each consignment. This is to ensure that it is from cholera or any other epidemic disease.

Meanwhile, the Export Inspection Agency (EIA) has beefed up the quality check on consignments to Saudi Arabia. EIA will take samples from each consignment and test prior to shipment and issue the required health certificates for exports to Saudi Arabia.