The effort to promote the export of fish and fish products is moving forward, officials said yesterday as they announced that a new export facilitation manual for fish processors and exporters has been drafted.
It was developed by the Fisheries Administration and the United Nation Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) as part of the government’s export diversification and expansion program.
Ing Try, deputy director general of the Fisheries Administration, described the manual as a timely response that contributes to the improvement of fish and fishery product exports.
Fish and fishery product exports are subject to tax of about 10 percent, he said.
Shetty Seethara Thombathu, chief technical advisor at UNIDO, said most fish processors and exporters are small- and medium-scale enterprises whose owners often have limited knowledge about export procedures and the requirements of importing countries. The manual will help fill the knowledge gap and this will increase exports from the fishery sector, Mr. Thombathu said.
The marine fisheries sector of Cambodia has great potential for earning foreign exchange. This sector is supporting a few million people directly or indirectly, Mr. Thombathu said. Cambodia has been exporting marine fish mainly to Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam in last few years, he added.
The objectives of the manual are to generate more knowledge and understanding of trade facilitation, provide practical guidance on export procedures and documentations for export of fish and fishery products, provide information on importing requirements of key international markets for fish and fishery products, and promote export diversification through increased exports of fish and fishery products, it says.
The manual will be disseminated to fish processors and exporters in April, officials said.
The fisheries sector is vital because it generates jobs, ensures food security and provides income to the poorest households, officials said, adding that more exports of fish and fishery products are an important contribution to the national economy.
Last year, about 700,000 tons of fish were harvested, of which about 400,000 tons were exported, according to official figures, which say aquaculture accounted for about 12 percent of the total harvest.
The fishing season starts in early October for areas north of Phnom Penh. The fishing season started this month in the south. Fishing seasons vary according to location and end in May.
2016 Khmer Times