D-8 to Standardize Fish Production to Thrust Intra-Trade

Manado, Indonesia | May 14, 2009 by D-8 Secretariat

(PRESS RELEASE) - The Developing Eight Countries Organization for Economic Cooperation (D-8) established the consultative meeting of Working Group on Marine and Fisheries (WGMF) here on Wednesday (May 13, 2009), focusing on fisheries and marine tourism.

Member countries of the Developing Eight group plan to standardize fish production in an effort to improve quality and increase trade.

Eight member countries of the Developing Eight group plan to standardize fish production in an effort to improve quality and increase trade. The newly introduced rules would cover the trade of fisheries products among the D-8 countries and are expected to be in place sometime in 2010.

Secretary General of D-8 for Economic Cooperation, Dipo Alam, said that D-8 had started various trade cooperation in marine and fisheries within the grouping. However, Alam said that there are still challenges shadowing D-8 fish industries, which desire concerted action to engage more actively in diversifying D-8 fisheries products, and enhancing the regions.

On the other hand, Alam said the consultative meeting would also focus on the importance of maintaining the marine tourism, which is related to the importance of maintaining the environment of our ocean properly. He said the organization seek to fully optimize marine tourism potential in D-8 countries and develop the idea of tourism as a tool for regional and sustainable development to a new idea of tourism as an instrument of social and economic empowerment and poverty reduction.

Martani Huseini, the Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries’ director general for processing and marketing, said it would be essential to promote standards and sound practices for fish trade in the future. Huseini said that trade in the fisheries sector is very important to ensuring adequate food supplies. He said that they are aiming to sign a memorandum of understanding on the trade in fisheries products so as to guarantee their quality.

The meeting was attended by delegations of member countries, and had actively collaborated in exchange of views and recommendation to support the prime objective to thrust intra-trade whithin D-8 in fisheries and marine tourism sector.

The D-8 group was established in June 1997 in Istanbul, Turkey, with eight members: Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey. The group aims to strengthen economic cooperation in agriculture and food security. For details please visit: www.developing8.org

- END OF PRESS RELEASE -

For photos during the meeting please click here.

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