Market Access Requirements (MARs)
MARs have consistently been a problematic issue for lesser developed countries exporting (or intending to export) seafood. The range of problems faced relate to “how” official guarantees are offered, as well as “what” are the particulars of these required guarantees.
The development and running of a Competent Authority (CA) for seafood sanitary controls is a very onerous and difficult undertaking for any country, as the importing countries impose compliance to its own requirements, hence requiring that the exporting country proves that it operates a control structure applicable to its seafood exports equivalent to those existing in the importing country.
How a country like Tuvalu with 10000 inhabitants can be expected to have a Pacific wide roaming CA negotiating MoUs with processing and transhipment countries, plus developing and managing an official control systems equivalent to those of France, is perhaps indicative of the potential extent of the issue.
I have assisted industry and governments in over 30 countries (so far) to implement cost effective compliance programmes that provide market access for their products under the most strict requirements.
