Seafood CRC: overseas market access for shellfish

Funded Activity Summary

The potential reduction of regulatory thresholds for marine biotoxins in the EU will have significant negative economic consequences for the Australian oyster, mussel, scallop and abalone industries (and pipi’s if domestic regulatory thresholds also changed).

The scallop, oyster and mussel industry currently export product to the EU. Total scallop exports to the EU in 2006/2007 were valued at around $4,551,000 AUD (187 t). Other mollusc (including oysters and mussels) exports to the EU in 2006/2007 were around $1,084,000 AUD (255 t). Due to the periodic occurrence of okadaic acid toxins and saxitoxins in Australian shellfish the implementation of reduced regulatory levels would reduce the amount of product eligible for export to the EU.

Exports of Australian abalone to the EU ceased in 2007, this was in part due to the enforcement of marine biotoxin regulatory limits by the EC. The wild caught abalone industry is attempting to regain market access to the EU through determining alternate risk management procedures for marine biotoxins in abalone. The reduction of regulatory levels for marine biotoxins may impinge on future EU access arrangements for Australian abalone.

Experience has repeatedly demonstrated that European decisions can impact on other more commercially significant markets, including Asia and the domestic market. Codex may also be prompted to change marine biotoxin guidance levels in response to EU changes. Wide spread adoption of reduced regulatory levels for marine biotoxins would result in increased growing area closures in Australia and less product eligible for sale. This proposal aims to assist in maintaining the current EU regulatory limits for marine biotoxins which will allow the current amount of shellfish to be exported to the EU and avoid other markets being influenced.


Objectives:
1. Undertake robust technical review of the European Food Safety Authority risk assessments on saxitoxin and okadaic acid group toxins.
2. Submit the technical review and a rationale for maintaining current marine biotoxin regulatory limits to the European Commission.
3. Convene a working group to determine future steps required to mitigate potential lowering of marine biotoxin regulatory limits.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-09-2009

End Date: 01-12-2009

Funding Scheme: Funding Scheme not available

Funding Amount: $5,000.98

Funder: Fisheries Research and Development Corporation

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

There are no FoR codes available for this funding activity

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

Contamination | Disease | Economic | Fisheries Management | Marketing | Policy | Shellfish Industry | Water quality

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