S. Korea to check China's fish farms, seafood plants

By Lee Youkyung
SEOUL, June 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to start an annual inspection of
fish farms and seafood factories in China later this month to check whether they
abide by hygiene requirements, officials here said Thursday.
The field examination is in line with a bilateral agreement on fisheries hygiene
and safety that was signed in 2001 shortly after imported Chinese blue crabs were
found to contain lead, the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
said.
A team of government inspectors is scheduled to tour 21 fish farms and seafood
factories in the eastern and northern regions of China from June 29-July 3 to
inspect their hygiene standards, according to the ministry.
"The examination is aimed to assess their hygiene levels and call for
improvements, if any," a ministry official said. "For serious violations of
safety and hygiene rules, we may request the Chinese government to shut down
violators."
Concern over Chinese fisheries products has been escalating over the last decade.
In 2005, eels imported from China were found to be tainted with a cancer-causing
chemical, malachite green, triggering a food scare in South Korea.
China is the largest exporter of seafood to South Korea. Last year, South Korea
imported 33.5 percent of its fisheries needs from China, including yellow
corvinas, hairtails and octopuses.
So far, 53 Chinese fish farms and seafood factories have been banned from
shipping products to South Korea for failing to meet safety standards,
representing about 3 percent of China's exporters.
ylee@yna.co.kr
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