BRASILIA – Brazil has announced a temporary ban on fish exports to the European Union.
It said this is a preventative measure following an EU food safety regulations audit that revealed discrepancies.
According to Brazil’s agriculture ministry, the ban will take effect on January 3 in order to avoid any blockade from the EU.
As reported by Telesur online, EU inspectors took issue with six of the 10 export companies that were audited.
The EU conducted the audit in September and warned about the failure of the industry to separate the capture of wild fish and fish farming activities.
Additionally, an intensive inspection of the ships used by Brazil’s seafood exporters was also suggested by the auditors.
According to official data from Brazil’s agriculture ministry, fish exports totaled $21.8m in 2017 (between January and November).
