Joint Ministerial DecreeNo ( 1909 ), Year 2001

Regarding Regulations and ProceduresRelated to Fish and Marine Products Exports

To the European Union Countries

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade,

After reviewing;Law No 53, issued in 1966 for the issuance of Unified Law for Agriculture,

AndLaw No 118, issued in 1975 concerning Import and Export, And

And

And

And

And

And

Law No 10, issued in1966 concerning Food Control and regulating its distribution and its executive Ministerial decrees,

Presidential Decree No 187, issued in1984 for the Establishment of the General Organization for Veterinary Services,

Presidential Decree No 106, issued in 2000 to facilitate the Control and Inspection Procedures on Imported and Exported Commodities,

Minister of Health Decree No 880 issued in 1960 concerning the transport of fresh fish,

Minister of Health Decree No 362 issued in 1984 concerning the transport of Frozen Commodities,

Ministerial Decree No 275 issued in 1991 concerning the Executive Regulations of Import and Export Law previously mentioned,

Decided

Article (1): The Catch, Storage, Preparation and Inspection of exported fish to the European Union countries is performed according to the attached system

Article (2): The exporter is temporarily suspended in case of any violation of regulations and procedures included in the attached system until proven not responsible for such violation. The exporter is suspended for a year in case of committing a second violation.

Article (3): The General Organization for Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation will supervise the implementation of this system, in this respect it has the power to: One) Present any suggestions to amend procedures included in the attached

system. Two) Prepare a list of Egyptian companies, which abide by the sanitation

regulation and production charts.

Article (4): This decree is published in Al-Wakaaei Al-Massreya Newspaper and is active as of date of its issuance.

Minister of EconomyAndForeign Trade

Deputy Prime Minister And Minister of Agriculture & Land Reclamation

Dr Youssef Botrous Ghaly Dr. Youssef Wally

Regulations and ProceduresRelated to Fish and Marine Products Exports

To the European Union Countries

1. Definitions:

Fish:Animals existing in waters and breathing through Gills whether in sweat or sea waters, including fish eggs and excluding aquatic mammals and other aquatic animals.

Fresh Fish Products:Fish or its parts prepared naturally without any interference by any processing operation for preservation except cooling.

Preserved Fish Products:Fish which have been preserved by adding preservative materials or by conducting a physiological treatment such as heating or smoking or drying or freezing or canning.

Marine Products:Include Mollusks, crustaceans and bivalve mollusk.

Fisheries:Places where fish are bred whether naturally or have been established and\or outlined.

Competent Authority:The agency that is responsible for, authorized to, has the right to perform control and veterinary review to the preparation, processing and exports operations (General Organization for Veterinary Services-Ministry of Agriculture).

"authorized officer" means any public officer designated by the GOVS to be an officer authorized under Section 2 of this Decree.

"Establishment" means any premises where fishery products are prepared, processed, chilled, frozen, packaged or stored, excluding auction and wholesale markets in which fishery products are only displayed and sold by wholesale, but including any fish processing establishment under the terms of the Fisheries Management and Development Act 1996.

"Fishing vessel" means any vessel designed and equipped for the capture of fish and operated for this purpose, but does not include vessels used exclusively for the transport of fish or fishery products.

"Freezer vessel" means fishing vessel which is equipped for the preservation by freezing of fish and fishery products, which may include packing, but does not include any of the operations conducted by factory vessels.

"Factory vessel" means any vessel on which fishery products undergo one or more of the following operations followed by packaging, filleting, slicing, skinning, mincing, freezing, or processing, but excludes any fishing vessels on which only freezing of fish (whole or with gills or guts removed) and shrimp (head- on or head-off) is carried out.

"fishery product" means any cold blooded aquatic animal, or part or product derived therefrom, intended for food for human consumption , and includes any fish, crustacean, mollusc, echinoderm, holothurian, or aquatic reptile, but does not include live animals (excluding shellfish).

"aquaculture" means managed production in artificial enclosures of fish species which are used for human consumption, and includes the production of intermediate stages of the life cycle including eggs and larval stages. It does not include the holding of live fish for short periods for the purpose of collecting for market or for purification.

"compound feed" means a manufactured animal feedstuff used for feeding to fish, which contains two or more ingredients blended by the feed producer

"extensive aquaculture" means aquaculture which takes place with limited or no inputs in terms of feed, fertiliser and other interventions, relying mainly on natural productivity for growth.

"diseased fish" means a fish on or in which pathological changes or other abnormalities are apparent.

"disinfection" means the application of hygienically satisfactory physical and/or chemical agents and processes to cleaned surfaces, with the intention of eliminating or reducing the number of microorganisms to a level that will not lead to harmful contamination of human food.

"veterinary drug means any substance applied or administered to any food producing animal whether used for therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic purposes or for modification of physiological functions or behaviour.

"withdrawal time" is the period of time between the administration of a veterinary drug to fish, or exposure of fish to a chemical, and harvesting of the fish to ensure that the concentration of the drug or chemical in the edible flesh of the fish complies with the maximum permitted concentration of the drug or chemical in fish for human consumption.

"Batch" of fishery products means an amount of harvested fish or molluscan shellfish of the same species produced at the same location at the same time.

"Frog's legs" means the back part of the body divided by a transversal cut behind the front limbs, eviscerated and skinned of members of the genus Rana spp. (family Ranidae) presented fresh, frozen or processed.

"Fresh water fisheries" includes fisheries undertaken within the limits of coastal lagoons and lakesProvisions for control and inspection of health conditions of production Approval of establishments and factory vessels exporting fishery products

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2 Provision for control and inspection of healthconditions of production 2.1 Approval of establishments and

factory vessels exporting products

1. (1) No shore-based establishment may be used for the storage or packaging of fishery products intended for export except under an accordance with an approval granted under this Decree.

(2) No factory vessel may be used for the storage, processing of fishery products intended for export except under and in accordance with approval granted under this Decree.

(3) An approval granted in accordance with subsections (1) and in respect of an establishment or factory vessel will authorise that establishment or vessel to store, process or package fishery products intended for export for a six months period and for such products and processes as may be specified in the approval.

(4) Health certificates for export to the EU will only be awarded lvalve mollusks which are consigned for export from an approved dispatch centre or approved purification centre

2.2 Approval conditions

(1) Every establishment or factory vessel required under Decree to be awarded an approval shall be subject to any general or specific operation and management requirements which are described in this Decree:

2.3. Suspension and Cancellation of Approval

1 .Any approval granted in accordance with Section 1 of this Decree must be suspended or cancelled at any time and without notice by the written order of the Board of the GOVS:

(a) where an establishment or processing vessel has been used in contravention of the this decree or any regulations made thereunder or in contravention of theconditions of the approval

(b)where such action is deemed necessary or expedient for ensuring the safety ofexported fishery products

2.4 Fees

(1) There shall be payable in respect of every application for an approvalgranted under Section 1 an appropriate fee as may be prescribed by the GOVS.

(2) The schedule of fees prescribed by the GOVS will be published from timeto time in the Gazette.

2.5 Provisions for Enforcement

2.5.1 Authorised officers

1(1) The GOVS may authorise any public officer to act as an authorised officer under this Decree.(2) The GOVS shall issue to every person authorised to act as an authorised officer a certificate of his authority.2.5.2 Powers of authorised officers

1. (1) An authorised officer may without a warrant -

(a) at any reasonable hour or whenever work is in progress in any establishment orfactory vessel in which fishery products are believed to be stored, processed orpackaged, enter and search that establishment or factory vessel for the purposes ofdetermining the existence, nature and extent of any trade or business in fishery products.

(b) examine any fishery product in any establishment or factory vessels to which hebelieves this Decree applies, take samples thereof and examine anything which hebelieves is used or capable of being used for the preparation of any fishery product

(c) stop search or detain any vehicle, vessel or aircraft in which he believes that anyfishery product to which this Decree applies is conveyed, examine the fishery productand take samples of it;

(d) open and examine any receptacle or package which he believes contains any fisheryproduct to which this Decree applies, examine the article and take samples of it;

(e) call for any books, documents or other records which h? believes contain anyinformation relevant to the enforcement of this Decree with respect to any fisheryproduct, make copies thereof and take extracts from it;

(f) seize and detain for such time as may be necessary any fishery product by means of,or in relation to which, he believes this Decree, or the conditions of an approval issuedunder this Decree, have been contravened

(2) An authorised officer shall release any fishery product seized by him undersubsection (1) where he is satisfied that the provisions of this Decree in relation to thefishery product have been complied with or where he is satisfied that product is notdestined for export.

(3) An authorised officer shall in the exercise of his powers under subsection (1) ifrequired by any person affected thereby, produce his certificate of authority issued to himunder Section 7(2).

(4) The owner or occupier or person in charge of any establishment or the master of anyfactory vessel entered into by an authorised officer pursuant to subsection (1) or anyemployee found therein or any person who when requested to give information or anyassistance to an authorised officer,

(a) fails to give the information or assistance reasonably requested or,(b) knowingly makes any statement which he knows or believes to be false or

does not believe to be trueis guilty of an offence.

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(5) Any person who wilfully obstructs an authorised officer in the execution of hisfunctions under this Decree is guilty of an offence.

(6) Any person who without the written permission of an authorised officer, removes,alters or interferes in any way with any fishery product seized under this Decree is guiltyof an offence.

2.6 Appeals

1. (l)Any person aggrieved by a decision of an inspector in relation to export approvals or approvals, or in relation to certification of individual batches of fishery products may appeal to the Chairman of the GO VS.

(2)The Chairman will investigate the appeal within 30 days and will provide a written decision, with reasoned arguments for his decision.

3 HACCP and own checks3.1 Staffing for food safety managementA person should be appointed with the responsibility of managing and implementing food safety systems within the establishment.

This manager should be a person of suitable qualifications for the post, and should have a broad experience in fish processing, quality control and quality evaluation techniques

The quality control manager will have the following responsibilities.

a) to ensure compliance with the requirements of this Decreeb) to communicate with senior management regarding the need for

any works or changes of practice which may be necessary to maintain or improve thequality of the finished product.

c) to accompany inspectors from state agencies when they visit theplant, and to put into effect any recommendations which they make.to implement a quality control program based on the analyses and tests specified in Section 9 of this Decree

Sufficient quality control staff should be employed to ensure the smooth running of the quality control function.

3.2 LaboratoryA laboratory should be prided at each establishment, which should comprise of a room(s) of sufficient size to undertake all the quality analyses specified.

The laboratory should be provided with sufficient work surfaces and tables to permit the laboratory to function normally without crowding of staff or equipment.

The floor and walls of the quality control laboratory should be smooth, impermeable and easy to clean.

The laboratory should possess suitable facilities for the storage of equipment and reagents.

The laboratory should be provided with an adequate supply of hot and cold water.

The laboratory should be provided with a sink of sufficient size for the washing ofequipment. Ifnecessary, a separate sink should be provided for the defrosting of fish.

The laboratory should be well ventilated with a suitable forced extraction fan, in order to prevent the accumulation of gases emanating from the chemical analysis offish.

The laboratory should be well illuminated with daylight and fluorescent strip lighting.3.3 Laboratory Equipment and MaterialsSuitable equipment and materials should be provided for the carrying out of the following tests and analyses.

• Temperature measurement• Weighing

• free available chlorine content of water• Microbiological contamination (including faecal indicators) of the surfaces of

tables and equipment in the plant• Sensory evaluation of raw material and final product• Separation and identification of extraneous material

3.4 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points

All export establishments must introduce and implement a system of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) for each product and each species subject to export approval. The principles of the system to be applied are as follows:

• Identification of hazards, analysis of risks and determination of control measures• Identification of critical points• Establishment of critical limits for each critical point• Establishment of monitoring and checking procedures• Establishment of corrective actions, and conditions in which they are to be applied• Establishment of verification and review procedures• Establishment of documentation concerning all procedures and records

The written HACCP plan(s) must be submitted to GO VS.

Written records of measurements made under the plan, and any corrective actions taken, must be held on file by the establishment and be available for inspection by an authorised officer.

3.5 Water AnalysisThe quality of the water which is used in the plant should be tested on a daily basis. Samples should be taken at the point of use and the following parameters analyzed for compliance with the standards expressed in Section 9.

- organoleptic quality- free chlorine and combined chlorine residuals-PH

If water from different sources is used in the same plant, the tests should be repeated for each source.At least once every week, water samples from each source should be submitted for a microbiological analysis, to ensure that there is no contamination of the water supply.

3.6 Raw MaterialOn arrival at the plant the internal temperature of each batch should be measured. The average internal temperature of frozen raw material should be below 10(C.

On arrival at the plant samples offish should be selected from each batch for organoleptic analysis of smell and appearance of raw fish, and the flavour of the cooked flesh.

The quality control manager should indicate his approval of the batch, based on the results of the above tests. He or she should sign an inspection form and assign a lot code to the fish before the commencement of processing.

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3.7 Process ControlQuality control staff should regularly observe the processing of the fish in order to ensure that the requirements of this code are complied with, particularly those of Section 8.

Quality control staff should ensure that fish does not remain exposed on the tables during stoppages in the process.

Quality control staff should ensure that the correct lot code is applied to the finished product.

3.8 Hygiene ControlQuality control staff should ensure that all persons entering the plant comply with the relevant provisions of Section 8 of this Decree.

Quality control staff should ensure that the cleaning of the plant and equipment is carried out in such a way, and as frequently as necessary, to maintain a high level of hygiene.

A cleaning and sanitizing program should be specifically written covering the disassembly, cleaning and disinfection of all areas in which fish is handled and equipment, tables, fish boxes, tools, and other materials with which fish comes into contact.

The plan should specify a suitable methodology and frequency of cleaning and identify the individuals responsible for each component.

Check lists which reflect the plan should be maintained by the Quality Control Manager to ensure that the cleaning schedule is met.

A copy of the program and completed check lists should be available to inspectors during inspections of the plant.

Each week, or more frequently if necessary, a microbiological analysis (total plate count or equivalent) should be made of work surfaces, fish boxes and equipment which comes into contact with fish, in order to test the efficiency of the plant cleaning and disinfection routine.

3.9 Data StorageAll the results of the analysis and tests mentioned in this section should be recorded on specially designed forms.

All the completed forms containing data which applies to each production batch code should be stored in a permanent filing system.

Data forms should be stored for at least three years after the date of production.

Forms should be available to inspectors from state agencies during their inspections of the plant.

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4 Conditions For The Factory Ships:

1st) Design and Equipment Conditions:

1- Factory Ships should have the following:• Receive area on board ship to contain different kinds offish as soon as caught. The

area should be designed and divided into tanks with suitable spacing to allow theseparation apart of what's been caught. The receive area and its moving partsshould be easy to clean and designed in a way to protect fish from sun or dirt orcontamination or any other harmful substances.

• Comply with the sanitary conditions when the different kinds of fish aretransported from the receive area to the operation area.

• Sufficient spaces for work areas to perform preparation and processing of differentfish in suitable hygienic circumstances. It should be designed and equipped in away to prevent fish contamination.

• Areas with sufficient spaces to store fish and can easily be cleaned. In case there isa fish wastes processing unit on board, there should be a place to store theseresidues (parts).

• Separated storage areas for packing and packaging materials away from fishpreparation and processing areas.

• Special equipment to pump fish residues unsuitable for human consumption.• Equipment to provide potable water supplies for human consumption or clean and

pressurized seawater. The outlet of seawater should be put in a special place where the residues in the refrigeration engines water or the steam residues will not affect the stored waters.

• A suitable number of locker rooms and washing sinks and water supply unitsshould be available, provided that no direct opening to the areas where fishpreparation, processing and storage operations are taking place.

2- The Following Should Exist In the Preparation, Processing And Freezing Areas Onboard Factory Ships:

• Anti-Slippery easy-to-clean and disinfect floors, especially prepared to facilitatewater discharge. The openings and fixtures should be flexible and wide enough notto be clogged by fish residues and to facilitate water drainage.

• Easy to clean walls and ceilings especially in places where there are pipes,connection rings and electrical cables.

• Protected water system to provide oil leakage proof, in order to prevent fishproduct contamination

• Good ventilation outlets and powerful steam expulsion.• Adequate lighting.» Cleaning and disinfecting utilities for equipment, tools and installations.• Hands cleaning and sanitation utilities through automatic faucets and one time

usage towels .

3-Equipment and tools (Cutting tables - Containers - evisceration and filletingmachines...etc) should be anti-rust from seawater and easy to clean and disinfect

4-Factory ships which freeze different kinds offish should contain the following

• High efficiency cooling area for product's fast cooling

• High efficiency refrigeration area to store fish products at suitable temperaturesalong with a temperature recording system to facilitate monitoring.

5 Sanitation Conditions To Be Applied On Fish Products Onboard Fishing Vessels:

1- Sections or containers of fishing vessels designated for fish product storage shouldn'tcontain substances or products that could transfer harmful residues or strange qualitiesto the food substance. The design of these sections and containers should be done in away to allow easy cleaning and the assurance that excess water is no longer existing inthe fish products.

2- Ship sections prepared for the storage offish products should be cleaned as soon asused. Contamination from ship's fuel or stagnant water accumulated in the ship's holdshould be eliminated.

3- The fish should be protected from contamination and sun effects or any source of heatas soon as deployed onboard the ships. Water used to wash fish should be potablewater or clean seawater, in order not to affect their quality or general appearance.

4- Fish products are handled and stored in a way that does not cause any cuts orscratches. It is permissible to use fork tools to move large size fish or fish that mighthurt the handling person, provided no damage occurs to the fish meat.

5- Fish products should be subjected to cold treatment operations directly after loading. Iffish products are on board ships where cooling operations represent a practicalproblem, then these products shouldn't stay more than 8 hours on board those shipsexcept those kept alive.

6- The ice used for cooling operations should be made from clean water or cleanseawater. The waters should be kept before use in conditions to preventcontamination

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7-The containers, equipment and ships' sections should be cleaned with potable water orclean seawater after unloading fish products.

8-Fish heads, intestines and other parts which may represent some danger to publichealth, should be separated and eviscerated Hygienically. It should be kept apart fromproducts directed towards human consumption, which should washed thoroughly withclean seawater. The fish livers and eggs intended for human consumption should berefrigerated and/or frozen.

9-Containers, equipment used to separate fish heads and remove its intestines and finsand any other used tools should be made of smooth, easy to clean materials andcovered by water-resistant hard to wear materials. After use, they should bethoroughly cleaned.

10- Workers designated to handle fish products should keep a high standard ofcleanliness and hygiene for themselves and their cloths.

6 Additional Hygienic Conditions Applicable To Fishing Vessels Designed and Rigged to Preserve Fish Products Onboard Under Suitable Conditions for More Than 24 Hours. (Except Vessels Equipped to Preserve Live Fish, Shellfish, Crustaceans And Mollusk):

1- Shipping vessels should be equipped with Cargo Decks, tanks and containers to storerefrigerated or frozen fish products according to the required temperatures. TheseCargo Decks should be separated from the vessel's machines and crew quarters byseparators to prevent the contamination of the stored fish products.

2- The inside surface of the Cargo Decks, tanks and containers should be water-resistant,easy to wash and disinfect. The surface should be made from smooth materials or atleast painted by a smooth paint in a good condition to prevent transmitting harmfulmaterials to the fish products that may affect human health.

3- Cargo Decks should be designed in a way to prevent the retention of excess waters infish products.

4- Containers used to.store fish products should guarantee the preservation of theseproducts in adequate hygienic conditions and especially allow the drainage of excesswaters. They should be completely clean when used.

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5- Ship deck, equipment, cargo decks, tanks, containers are to be cleaned each time theyare used. Potable water or clean seawater is used to achieve this purpose. Disinfectingand getting rid of insects and rats residues are done whenever necessary.

6- All detergents, disinfectants, insecticides and all materials that may be poisonousshould be stored in closed lockers or compartments.

7- When fish are frozen on board ship, it should be done according to the sanitationregulations. If fish are frozen in a saline solution, there should be assurance that thissolution doesn't represent a source of contamination.

8- Fishing Vessels equipped to refrigerate fish products in cold seawaters are committed -whether this is done through cooling by ice or by using mechanical means - to complywith the following requirements:

One - Ship tanks should be supplied with an adequate quantity of sea water and water discharge mechanisms. Gadgets should be integrated to realize unified temperature inside all tanks.

Two - Tanks should contain temperature measurement equipment, connected to a temperature device installed on the highest place inside the tank.

Three -The operating system of the tanks or containers should include cooling modifier that mix fish with sea water under a temperature reaching 3 centigrade within a maximum of six hours after loading and reaching zero centigrade within a maximum of sixteen hours.

Four - Tanks and containers should be completely emptied after unloading and thoroughly cleaned, every time, with potable water or clean seawater.

Five - The number and date of the tank should be written clearly in the temperature registries and kept for use by the control authorities.

Six - The responsible authorities (the General Organization for Veterinary Services), to fulfil the objectives of control, should keep an updated list of equipped vessels in conformity with items 7 & 8. Vessels having containers that can be moved are excluded since it doesn't perform routinely fish retention in cold seawater.

Seven - Vessels owners or their representatives should take all necessary arrangements to prevent personnel who may contaminate fish products when handling such products from working on board their ships, until it's completely proven that they don't represent any hazard to fish products.

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7 Regulations to be followed before and after loading on board vessels:

1- Hauling and stacking equipment on board ships should be made of easy to clean anddisinfect materials.

2- Avoidance of any contamination during fish hauling and stacking operation, bycomplying with the following:

• Hauling and stacking should be done quickly.• Fish are put in a protected environment without any delay at the required

temperature according to the fish nature. If required it should be put in ice duringtransport or storage whether in the establishment or at the markets.

• No use of equipment or practices other than the authorized ones to avoid anydamage to the edible parts of different kinds offish.

3- The following should be observed at the wholesale market and auctions where the fish products are displayed:

It should be covered and surrounded by easy to clean walls.Floors should be water-resistant, easy to wash, disinfect and supplied with ahygienic drainage system to get rid of drainage water.Hygienic utilities, an adequate number of washing basins supplied by handcleaning detergents, one time use towels and clean lavatories, should be provided.Good lighting system to facilitate fish samples examinations.No vehicles that emit harmful exhausts, which might affect the fish products,should be allowed to get into these markets. Unwanted animals are not also allowedentrance.Crates and boxes are cleaned regularly from inside and outside with potable watersand clean seawaters, after every sales operation.Posting signs of (no smoking, spitting, eating and drinking) in easy to noticeplaces.Should have the utilities to provide needed water quantities and water tanks madeof anti rust materials.A locker room that can be closed with all utilities needed for the examinationoperationsMarkets should contain large cooling rooms to store fish in a temperature reachingthe temperature of melting ice

4- Application of General Hygienic Conditions.

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8 Conditions for Construction of Buildings on Lands: 8.1

General Conditions connected with Buildings and Equipment:

1-Existence of working areas with adequate spaces to conduct work according to thehygienic regulations and providing no contamination may occur to the product. Thereshould be separation between both the clean and contaminated parts of the building

2-In areas where the products will be handled, prepared and processed, the followingshould be available:

• Water-resistant floors, easy to clean and disinfect and designed in a way to allowwater drainage, or equipped with necessary equipment to remove water.

• Smooth surface walls, easy to clean, durable and water-resistant.• Easy to clean ceilings.• Doors made of durable materials and easy to clean.• Good ventilation outlets.• Natural and artificial lighting.• Utilities to clean and disinfect hands. Faucets in workrooms and lavatories

shouldn't operate manually. One time use towels should be provided.• Utilities to clean processing equipment and other different tools.

3- Refrigeration rooms where the different types offish are stored should be provided bythe following:

• Water-resistant floors, easy to clean and disinfect and designed in a way to allowwater drainage, or equipped with necessary equipment to remove water.

• Smooth surfaced walls, easy to clean, durable and water-resistant• Easy to clean ceilings.• Doors made of durable materials and easy to clean.• Natural and artificial lighting.

4- Provide necessary means to control pests, insects, rodents, birds ... etc.

5- Work tools and instruments (cutting tables - Containers - trays - knives) should bemade of rustproof materials, easy to clean and disinfect.

6- Provide special containers made of rustproof materials to hold water allocated for fishproducts.

7- Provide means of supply for adequate quantities of potable water or clean seawater ortreated seawater with a suitable pressurized system in adequate quantities.Exceptionally, it's allowed providing waters unsuitable for drinking for steaming andanti fire operation, provided that the installed pipes for this reason will prevent the useof these waters for other purposes

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8- A sanitary drainage system to discharge drainage water according to standardspecifications should be available.

9- Provide an adequate number of dressing rooms with smooth, water-resistant andwashable walls and floors washing basins supplied by hand cleaning detergents, onetime use towels, automatic faucets and lavatories provided they are not open directlyto the working rooms.

10-Availability of suitable equipped rooms that can be closed to conduct examinationoperations.

11- Arrange for suitable utilities to clean and disinfect the means of transport.

12- Existence of constructions to store live mollusk (crustaceans and different kinds offish) equipped with suitable utilities to guarantee the best survival, in addition to highquality water to prevent the transmittal of harmful materials and organisms toMollusk and Fish.

8.2 General Hygienic Conditions:

one ) General Hygienic Conditions for Utilities and Equipment:-

1- Floors, walls, separators, ceilings lined and unlined, equipment and toolsused in operations related to different types of fish products should be kept ingood condition and clean, in order not to represent any source ofcontamination to the products.

2- Extermination of any rodents or insects or any other harmful creatures,regularly and continuously. Pesticides or any poisonous materials should bestored in buildings and storage areas that can be locked. This shouldn'tsubject the fish products to any kind of contamination.

3- Working areas, equipment and working tools should be used solely inoperation related to different kinds offish products, However, it could beused in other operation especially food products according to what'sauthorized by the responsible authorities.

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4- Potable water and clean seawater should be used in all purposes. However, non-potable waters can be used exceptionally for steaming, fire protection and coolingequipment operation, providing that installed piping will prevent the use of thesewaters for other purposes and they won't represent a source of contamination to theproducts.

5- Responsible authorities should approve cleaning, disinfectant and similar materialsFurthermore these materials should be used in a way that does not affect machines,equipment and products.

8.3 Work Team general Hygienic Conditions:-

1- it's required that the working team should be on the highest level of cleanness andespecially:

• Workers should wear clean cloths and a helmet to cover the whole hair.• Workers who deal with different fish products preparation should at least wash

their hands every time they resume work. Wounds should be covered withwaterproof bandages.

• Smoking, spitting, eating and drinking are completely forbidden in work buildingsand storing areas of different fish products.

2- The owner's of establishments should take necessary arrangement to preventindividuals whom may pollute fish products from working with or handling suchproducts. Those individuals are obliged to perform a regular checkup every six monthsto ensure they are free from disease.

3- When an individual is appointed in operations related to fish products, he shouldsubmit a medical certificate proving that he does not have any obstacle preventing himfrom taking this job.

9 WATER SYSTEM

9.1 Water Supply

The plant should have a permanent supply of adequate quantities of water, suitable for human consumption (ie. free of dangerous bacteria and toxic materials in concentrations which represent a risk to health)

9.2Water Treatment

If necessary the water will be treated by filtration and chlorination in order to achieve the standards summarized in Section .If the water used in the plant receives additional treatment prior to use (eg. addition of chlorine) this must be done in accordance with the instructions of the manufacturer of any equipment or chemicals utilized.The system for water treatment by chlorine must be designed in such a way as to ensure a contact time of at least 30 minutes before water is usedProducts intended for export shall be dipped, washed, glazed or treated with hyper-chlorinated water. The water which comes into contact with fishery products should be suitable for human consumption.

9.3Storage of Water

The plant should possess adequate water storage cisterns with sufficient capacity to supply the requirements of the plant when operating at maximum capacity.

The cisterns should be well constructed and the internal surfaces should be smooth and impermeable. A high quality cement finish in acceptable.Each water cistern should be provided with an impermeable hatch which permits entry for cleaning and inspection purposes. The design of the hatch should protect against the entry of rainwater and any water which may flow out of the plant.Each water cistern should be protected against the entry of insects, animals and dust by adequate screening of any ventilation pipes.The area surrounding each water cistern should be maintained clean and free of accumulations of rubbish, dust, water and other materials which could contaminate the water inside.Water cisterns should be inspected at regular intervals with the objective of keeping them clean and in good condition.

9.4 Hot WaterThe plant should possess a means of heating water to a temperature of at least 80(C, in quantities adequate for hand washing by personnel.The installation of either a steam system or pressurised water for plant cleaning, is recommended.

9.5 SeawaterThe use of seawater is permitted for the following purposes:

a) as a chilling medium for raw material storage of whole fishb) ice making

The use of seawater is not permitted for the following purposes:a) handwashingb) addition to the final productc) hot water

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9.6 Water System Within the Plant

All pipework in the water system should be impermeable, well constructed and in good condition. Iron pipes should be painted externally in order to protect them against rusting.The provision of water to the sanitary facilities (WCs and urinals) should be isolated from the water system for the rest of the plant, and should be supplied from a separate cistern.

9.7 Plan of the water distribution

The management of the establishment must prepare a plan of water distribution within the establishment which shows all pipes, tanks, cisterns and outlets within the establishment. The outlets should be identified by consecutive numbering, so that they can be located on the plan.

9.8 Water AnalysisAll samples for analysis should be taken at the point of use.

If water from different sources is used in the same plant, the tests should be repeated for each source.

The quality of the water which is used in the plant (including ice) should be tested on a daily basis, from different locations, in rotation, for the following parameters:

organoleptic qualityfree chlorine and combined chlorine residualspH

At least once every week, water samples from each source should be submitted for a microbiological analysis, to ensure that there is no contamination of the water supply. If numbers of microbes exceed the specifications, then action must be taken to identify the source and stop the contamination.

At least once every year, a sample should be submitted for analysis of other parameters.

9.9 Standards for water quality

9.9.1 Organoleptic quality

Characteristic Acceptable limit or range

Colour Acceptable to consumers

Taste Acceptable to consumers

Odor Acceptable to consumers

Chloride 250 mg/1

PH 6.5 to 9.5

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9.9.2 Chlorine content

There should be a detectable free chlorine residua! at the point of use.

9.9.3 Microbiological standards

Parameter Value (number/1 00ml)

E.coli 0Enterococci 0

9.9.4 Other parameters

Parameter Value Unit Notes

Acrylamide 0.1 μ§/1 Note 1Antimony 5.0 μβΛArsenic 10 μ§/ιBenzene 1.0 Kg/IBenzopyrene 0.010 μ§/ιBoron 1.0 mg/lBromate 25 μ§/ι Note 2Cadmium 5.0 KgflChromium 50 κβϋCopper 2.0 mg/l Note 3Cyanide 50 μβ/ι1,2 dichloroethane 3.0 μ#ϊEpichlorohydrin 0.10 BS/! Note 1Fluoride 1.5 mg/lLead 15 μβ/ι Notes 3, 4Mercury 1.0 μ&ΊNickle 20 μ ^ Note 3,4

Nitrate 50 mg/l Note5Nitrite 0.5 mg/l Note5Pesticides 0.10 μΕ/1 Notes 6, 7Pesticides Total 0.5 №Λ Notes 6, 8Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons 0.10 μ^ Sum of concentration of specified compounds. See note 9Selenium 10 μ§ΛTetracloroethene and Trichloroethene 10 μβ/1 Sum of concentration of specified parametersTrihalomethanes - total 150 μ§/ι Sum of concentration of specified compounds. See note 10Vinyl chloride 0.5 μ§/1 Note 1

Note 1: The parametric value refers to the residual monomer concentration in the waterNote 2: Where possible lower values should be obtainedNote 3: The value applies to a sample of water obtained by an adequate sampling methodat the tap and so taken to be representative of the weekly average value ingested byconsumers.Note 4: Lower levels should be obtained if possibleNote 5: the following condition must be met: [nitrate]/50 + [nitrite]/3 ? 1 where thesquare brackets signify the concentrations in mg/l for nitrate (NO3) and nitrite (N02).The nitrite level must be no greater than 0.10 mg/l ex-water treatment works.

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Note 6: pesticides meansOrganic insecticidesOrganic HerbicidesOrganic FungicidesOrganic NematocidesOrganic AcaricidesOrganic AJgicidesOrganic RodenticidesOrganic SlimicidesRelated products (inter alia growth regulators)

Only those pesticides which are likely to be present in the water supply should be monitired

Note 7: the parametric value applies tto each individual pesticide. In the case of aldrin, dieldrin, heptachlor and heptachlorepoxide the parametric value is 0.030 μg/l.Note 8: pesticides - toatl means the sum of all individual pesticides detected andquantified in the monitoring procedureNote 9: The specified compounds are:Benzo (b) fluoranthaneBenzo (k) fluoranthaneBenzo (ghi) peryleneIndeno (1,2,3-cd) pyrene

Note 10: Where possible lower levels should be obtained. The specified compounds are chloroform, bromoform, dibromochloromethane, and bromocloromethane.

10 Specific Conditions Associated with Fish Product On-Shore:

10. 1 Conditions connected to Fresh Fish Products:

one ) Unpacked and refrigerated products should be stored in ices (made of potable water or clean seawater) in the establishment's refrigeration rooms. The ice should be reapplied whenever needed. Fresh products and the ones packed beforehand should be cooled by ice or refrigerated by the mechanical refrigeration unit to stay on a fixed temperature.

Two) Evisceration and heads separation should be done hygienically. Products should be washed with potable water or clean seawater directly after performing the said operations (If not done onboard ship).

Three) Filleting and cutting in a way not to damage the fillets and the cuts tocontamination or damage. These operations are done in areas other than the ones where the Evisceration and heads separation were done. Fillets and cuts shouldn't remain longer than necessary on the work tables after the preparation operation. Fillets and parts to be sold fresh should be cooled as fast as possible after the preparation process.

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Four) Heads and other cut parts that represent a danger to public health should beseparated in another place than the one where products fit for human consumption are kept.

Five) Containers used to transport or store different fresh fish should be designed in a way to guarantee its safe keeping from pollution and preserve it under suitable hygienic conditions. There should be especially a place devoted to discharge melted ice waters.

Six) If there aren't any special utilities for the continuous dispensing with wastes then the wastes will be put in easy to clean and disinfect, anti-leak covered containers. Wastes and leftovers shouldn't accumulate in work areas .It should always be removed at the end of each workday or when the containers are full.

10. 2 Conditions Related to Frozen Fish Products:

one) The Factory should have the following:1 - High efficiency freezing equipment to realize the required drop in temperature.2- High efficiency freezing equipment to preserve products in the storage rooms undertemperatures that do not exceed the temperatures indicated in the decree, regardless of thesurrounding temperatures.

• As for canned fish, higher temperatures are approved provided it does not exceed 9degrees Celsius.

3- A temperature-recording device should be installed in the storage rooms provided it'sput in a place where it can be easily read. The temperature recording device sensor shouldbe installed away from the refrigeration source i.e. in the area where the temperature isthe highest.

• Temperatures degrees charts should be available for inspection done by the General Organization for Veterinary Services during the period where products are stored.

10. 3 Conditions Related to Melted (Defrosted) Fish Products:

• Establishments that perform melting operations should comply with the following:

One) Different fish products should be melted according to hygienic conditions. Theproducts shouldn't also be subjected to any kind of contamination. Furthermore, thereshould exist a suitable sewage system to drain waters resulting from melting. Thetemperature of the different fish products shouldn't increase much during the meltingoperation.The preparation and processing should be done after melting without any delay. If theproducts are placed on the markets immediately, then it should be done in a good way

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10. 4 Conditions Related to Processed Fish Products:

one) The processing operations should be recognized in the current law, if the processing operations contain the prevention of the growth of disease causing microorganisms, or if these operations were a main factor to preserve the product

Two) The person in-charge of the establishment should keep a special record containing all the conducted processing operations. Salt and water percentages and their control according to the type of performed processing operation, heating time and temperatures should also be recorded. In addition, records of the expected storage duration for the products should be registered and offered to the General Organization for Veterinary Services.

Three) Indicate suitable storage conditions on the package that's kept for a limited period through some processing like salting, smoking, or drying.

Four) In case of caning different fish products that were subjected to a sterilization processing in tightly sealed containers, the following conditions should be observed:

• Waters used in the preparation of the cans should be potable water.• The process followed for heat treatment should be appropriate, taking into

consideration the major criteria such as heating time, temperature, filling, size ofthe container.. .etc, a special registry for these things should be kept. Processingthrough heat treatment should be capable of destroying diseases causing organismsand its spores. Heating equipment should contain the necessary tools to ensurewhether or not the container has passed the heat treatment process. Potable watershould be used in cooling the containers after the heat treatment process without thedisruption of the existence of any chemical additives used according to goodtechnological practices preventing the corrosion of equipment and containers.

• The factory should perform more random tests to guarantee the application of theright heat treatment to the processed products such as :

- Incubation tests (period between disease infection and the appearance of diseasesymptoms). These tests should be performed in a temperate ' 'ng 37 degrees Celsius for seven days or 35 Celsius for ten days or any other temperature relate to this subject

- Biological tests for elements and containers in the establishment's laboratory or anyother laboratory agreed upon and approved by the General Organization for VeterinaryServices

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- Production samples should be taken every day at fixed times to ensure the validity of guarantee. Therefore, suitable tools for can samples inspection should be available.

- Inspection should be made to ensure that the containers are not damaged.

- All the heat-treated containers according to the applied practical conditions should begiven an identification mark by the General Organization for Veterinary Services.

10.5 The following should be observed during the smoking operation:

- Performing the smoking operation in separate locations or in a specially prepared location for this purpose. If necessary, the location should be equipped with an air ventilation system to prevent the effects of heat and smoke emitted from combustion on buildings and/or other locations where different fish products are being prepared, processed or stored.

- The materials used in fish smoking should be stored away from the smoking location;moreover, it should be used in a manner not to pollute the products.

- Painted and glued wood or the wood that has been chemically treated to be smoke-producing substances by burning wood shouldn't be used.

- Cooling process should be done quickly after smoking to the required temperature toprotect the product before packaging.

10.6 The following should be complied with during the Salting operation:

• Salting should be done in different buildings and it should moved away from buildings where other operations are performed,

» The salt used in the treatment of different fish products should be cleaned andstored in way to prevent any contamination during the different salting processes

» Clean areas where different salting operations before use.

10.7 Bivalve Mollusks and Crustaceans should be cooked as follows:

• A quick cooling should follow the cooking operation. Water used for this purpose should be potable water or clean seawater. The cooling operation should continue until the temperature would reach the melted ice temperature, if there weren't any other protection scheme

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• The removal of the shells should be done according to hygienic conditions to avoidproducts' contamination. If such operation is done by hand then the workers shouldpay a special attention to continuously wash the hands and clean all what's used inthese operations. If machines were used in these operations, then they should becleaned on fixed intervals and disinfected at the end of every working day.

• After different shells are removed, the cooked products should be freezedimmediately or refrigerated to reach a degree that would prevent the growth ofdiseases causative. The storing should be done in suitable buildings.

• Every factory should perform inspection operations on scheduled and fixedperiods.

10.8 Mechanical processing operation should be done according to the followingconditions:

• Mechanical processing should be done to filleted fish that there intestine wereremoved without any delay. If fish were used a whole then the intestine should beeviscerated and the fish washed in advance.

• The machines are cleaned on fixed intervals (at least every two hours).After processing, fish meat should be freezed as soon as possible or integrated with another product that will be freezed or equilibrium

10.9 Conditions relating to frogs' Legs

Frog's legs may only be exported to the European Union if they meet the conditions described below.

The frogs must have been slaughtered, bled, prepared and where appropriate, chilled frozen processed packaged and stored in establishments which meet the requirements of Sections 11 of this Decree.

Are approved by the GOVS in accordance with Section 13 of this Decree.

Are subject to monitoring and inspection in accordance with Section 12 of this Decree.

Are produced subject to a HACCP plan in conformity with Section 3 of this decree

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In addition, a separate room must be set aside for the storage and washing of live frogs awaiting slaughter, and for their slaughter and bleeding. The room must be physically separate from any room in which frogs are cut, dressed , prepared, packed or processed

The death of frogs must only be carried out by slaughter in an approved establishment Frogs which are found dead prior to slaughter must be not be used for human consumption

Immediately after cutting frogs legs must be washed in water which complies with section 9 of this Decree, followed by immediate chilling using ice or chilled air, to a temperature of 0 degrees centigrade, or immediately frozen to a temperature of-18 degrees centigrade.

Where frogs legs are further processed, packed, stored and transported this must be carried out in accordance with Sections 11 of this Decree.

The packaging containing frogs' legs must bear an indelible identification mark containing the following particulars:

• The name of exporting establishment• The country of origin• The approval number of the Establishment

11 General Conditions relating to operation of export establishments

11.1 Conditons relating to traceability of fishery products and molluscan shellfish

All producers (including fishers and aquaculture production units), traders and processors who hold fish for the purpose of export to the EU must:

• Apply a mark or label to every unit within every batch of fishery products, toidentify that batch and distinguish it from other batches

• Keep batches separate• Maintain a written record of the origin of that batch, to include the supplier, date,

quantity and any other relevant characteristics• Maintain a record of the person to whom the batch or parts were sold• To keep records for minimum period of 3 months in the case of fresh fish, and two

years in the case of frozen fish.

11.2 Conditions related to Parasites:

one) Fish and its products should be subjected during the production period and beforeoffered for human consumption to visual inspection for the purpose of discovering anyvisual parasites.Fish or its parts that are infected by parasites although removed, shouldn't be placed onthe markets for human consumption.Two) If fish is to consumed in raw form, including lightly salted, then it should besubject to a freezing process such that all parts of the fish arruve at a temperature notexceeding -20 Celsius degrees, for a period not less than 24 hours.

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b- Fish processors should guarantee that fish and their products or fish used in its crude form in their different processing operations have been subjected to the previous mentioned treatments before being offered for consumption.

c- Fish products indicated previously when placed on the marketsshould be accompanied by a document from the factory referring to the types of operations performed on them

11.3 Species and products prohibited for export

Fish of the following species are not permitted for export to the European Union:

Latin English Arabic

Scomberomerus spp. Barred Spanish mackerel

Pomatomus saltator Bluefish Miass

Seriola dumerii Amberjack Insh

Trachurus trachurus Horse mackerel Self

Scomber scombrus Mackerel Scomber

Clupea sprattus Sprat Anchuga

Engraulis encrassicholu Anchovy Espadin

The following processed products may not be exported to the European Union:Fermented fishery products produced from fish of the genus Mugil. This includes the product feseikh.This list of prohibited species and fishery products may be amended by order of the Minister of Agriculture.

11.4 Packaging Conditions:1- Packaging should be done according to suitable hygienic conditions to prevent

the occurrence of any kind of contamination to the different fish products.2- Packaging materials and its products which will be used to pack different fish

products should conform with all hygienic regulations especially:• Won't prevent the physical properties of different fish products.• Won't transfer to different fish products any harmful substances to human health.• Won't be strong enough to protect different fish products.

3- It's not permissible to re-use packaging materials except some containers made of smooth, anti rust materials that won't be affected by water and radiation and easy to clean and disinfect. These containers may be re-used after cleaning and disinfecting. Packaging materials for Fresh fish products put in ice should provide a good discharge system for melted ice waters.

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4- Packaging materials that were not used should be stored in distant warehouse away from production areas and should be protected from dust and pollution

11. 5 Identification Marks:

A label should be pasted containing all the producer's data or through these products' documents. Therefore the following information should appear on the package or in the products' special document:

1- Exporting country.2- Establishment official and approved identification number.

11.6 Storage and Transport Conditions:

1- Fish products during storage and transport should be kept in temperatures accordingto the following:

• Fresh fish products or ice melted, the Bivalve Mollusk and crustaceans cooked andrefrigerated in a temperature degree reaching the melted ice temperature degree.

• Frozen fish products except fish frozen in salt water and will be used in cannedfood industry- in a temperature degree reaching -18 Celsius degree or less in allparts of the product, allowing a minor increase that does not exceed 3 degreesCelsius during the transportation of processed products The factory will determinethe degree if necessary.

2-Some of the storage and transport conditions may be disregarded. In the event oftransporting the frozen fish from a refrigeration storage unit to an establishment(which has been approved by the General Organization for Veterinary Services) butmelted upon arrival for the purposes of preparation and processing or for bothpurposes. Also when the distance to be covered is short (not exceeding 50 kilometer orone hour drive).

3-Fish products shouldn't be stored or transported with other products that maycontaminate or affect its hygiene, unless when it's packed in a form to provide fullprotection.

4-Vehicles used to transport fish products should be prepared in a manner to maintainthe necessary temperature all the transportation period Whenever ice is used torefrigerate the products, a discharge system should be provided to guarantee thatmelted ice water does come near the products. Moreover, the used transport vehicleinternal surfaces should be outfitted in a manner not to negatively affect fish productsand should be smooth surfaces, easy to clean and disinfect.

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5- Fish products means of transport shouldn't be used to transport any other products thatwould affect the fish products or contaminate it, unless it's guaranteed that fishproducts will not be contaminated due to the continuous cleaning and disinfecting ofthe said means of transport.

6- It's prohibited to transport fish products in vehicles or containers that aren't clean ordisinfected.

7- The transport conditions to place the live fish products in the markets shouldn'tnegatively affect these products.

12 Provisions relating to aquaculture and freshwater fisheries

12.1 Freshwater capture fisheries

Fish from freshwater capture fisheries should meet the conditions specified in sections ** and ** of this section..

12.2 Site location and selection

Aquaculture and freshwater fisheries activity should be located in areas where the risk of contamination with hazardous chemical effluents is minimal and where sources of pollution can be controlled.

Aquaculture and freshwater fisheries activity should be sited at a safe distance from potential sources of water contamination in order to ensure protection of products from contamination.

The immediate vicinity of aquaculture and freshwater fisheries activity should be free of potential sources of water contamination and in particular should not be located downstream and close to:

• Industry and mining• Intensive agriculture (especially animal husbandry)• Densely populated areas or urban areas• Hospitals• Major roads and railways

Before building a land-based aquaculture facility a survey of the soil should be conducted in order to determine the concentration and extent of any parameters which are of importance for the safety of end products, including heavy metals and pesticide residues Such an analysis should be conducted as part of the licensing required for new aquaculture activity.

Cages, pens or any other form of aquaculture enclosures or water intakes should be sited away from routes of water-borne traffic, and preferably upstream of any water-borne traffic;

Cages, pens or any other form of aquaculture enclosures or water intakes should be sited away from, and preferably upstream of, any natural or man-made discharges of contamination.

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12.3 Aquaculture site facilities

All aquaculture enterprises must provide reasonably accessible sanitary facilities available for the use of people working in the enterprise.

Earth closet facilities are acceptable.

The minimum of facilities depends on the number of staff at the site, according to the following table:

Number of employees (Counted following sex) Minimum number of toilets

01 -09 01

10-24 02

25-49 03

50- 100 05

More than 100 for every 30 persons add more 01 toilet

Sanitary facilities should be located a sufficient distance away from where fish are held to ensure that there is no risk of contamination offish ponds with human faeces.

12 .3. 1 Feed storage

If feed is stored at the aquaculture facility it should stored in a properly constructed well-ventilated facility, and protected from the entry of insects, birds and rodents.

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12.4 Pond conditioning, fertiliser and feeds

12.4.1 Pond preparation

Weeds, rubbish and debris should be removed before preparing aquaculture ponds for filling with water.

Ponds should be conditioned with lime and left for a period of at least two weeks before filling and stocking.

At least once each year the pond should be drained, allowed to dry out and re-conditioned with lime.

12.4.2 Fertiliser

Materials not permitted to be used as fertiliser for fish ponds are as follows.

Human faecesAnimal manure unless it:

• Is added with equal weight of lime during pond conditioning, or• Has been adequately composted to eliminate trematode eggs• Is derived from enclosed animals living adjacent to the pond as part of an

integrated culture system and those animals are treated regularly withantihelminthic drug treatment

12.4.3 Feeds and feed materials

Slaughterhouse waste and offal from mammalian food animals may only be used as a food for fish if it is first cooked.

Compound feed should not be used for feeding fish unless the user is informed of the composition, including any supplements added by the manufacturer.

Compound feed treated with veterinary medical supplements (including hormones and antobiotics) are considered to be veterinary medicines to which the following section applies.

12.5 Veterinary medicines and withdrawal periods

12.5.1 Registration and Distribution of Veterinary Drugs

No veterinary therapeutic products or medicinal premixes for inclusion in fish feeds, may be applied to fish, apart from those listed below:

TetracyclinesQuinolones (inlcudes oxolinic acid, flumaquin)SulphonamidesFormalin

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The Minister of Agriculture may by order amend this list of permitted medicines.

12.5.2 Handling and Administration of Veterinary Drugs

Control with drugs offish diseases in aquaculture should be carried out only on the basis of a diagnosis by a veterinarian or a qualified fish disease specialist.Veterinary medicines for treatment offish diseases should only be applied under the supervision and written prescription of a qualified veterinarian or fish disease specialist.Prescriptions should specify dosage and frequency, method of administration, withdrawal period. In all cases veterinary drugs should be used according to manufacturers instructions and note should be taken of all warning statements and contraindications for use, particularly in relation to withdrawal periods.Each individual dose and administration of veterinary medicines (including compound feeds containing veterinary supplements) should be recorded in a special book kept for that purpose, specifying date and nature of treatment, identification offish and duration of withdrawal period.The entries in the register are to be signed by the veterinarian or fish disease specialist responsible for administering the drug programme. The register should also record daily water temperatures during administration of the drugs and for the duration of the withdrawal period.Fish which are diseased and which are being treated with veterinary medicine should be kept separate from those which are not being treated, and be easy to identify as a separate batch.Veterinary products should be stored in labelled and locked cabinet which is used exclusively for this purpose. The cabinet should be labelled with the name of the responsible key holders.12.5.3 Harvesting and Withdrawal Period

Drugs used for treatment as well as prophylaxis must not be given to fish during a certain period of time (withdrawal period) before slaughtering.Withdrawal periods under different conditions must be established by the supplier of the drug, for the fish species and the drug in question, and recorded in the drug register held by the farmer.Fish must not be harvested before the end of the withdrawal period.The amount of any veterinary drug residue in the edible part of the harvested fish must not exceed the maximum residue limit specified below.

Substance Maximum residue limit (MRL) micogram/kg

Tetracyclines 100

Quinolones (oxolinic acid, flumaquin) 300

Sulphonamides 100

if fish which are treated with a veterinary medicine are sold live for on-growing before he end of the withdrawal period, then the buyer must be informed in writing.

12.5.4 Requirements for marketingIf the fish is sent for further processing, then the producer should certify to the processor in writing that either.

• No veterinary medicines have been applied• If they have been applied, that minimum withdrawal periods have been observed

for the named medicinesProcessors receiving aquaculture products for processing must undertake their own checks to ensure that:

• They do not accept production batches in which undeclared drug treatments havebeen administered

• Where veterinary medicines have been applied, that minimum withdrawal periodshave been observed and maximum residue limits are not exceeded

• No prohibited substances are present

12.6 Harvesting, equipment and materialsHarvesting areas and methods within the aquaculture facility should be designed and constructed for easy, fast and hygienically acceptable operations.All equipment used for harvesting, catching, sorting, grading, conveying and transporting offish should be designed for rapid and efficient handling offish without causing mechanical damage.Equipment, containers and utensils coming into contact with fish should be designed and constructed to ensure that they can be adequately cleaned, disinfected and maintained to avoid contamination.All surfaces of boxes, implements and other equipment which come into contact with fish should be of corrosive resistant material which is smooth and easy to clean, or be designed for a single use only.If re-usable boxes are used to carry fish from the pond then a suitable means of cleaning with water and detergent, and disinfection should be provided

12.7 Hygiene12.7.1 Personal hygiene and behaviourAny person working on an aquaculture facility shall maintain a reasonable standard of personal hygiene and should take all necessary precautions to prevent the contamination ofthe fish.Any cut or wounds on hands and forearms shall immediately be covered by a suitable water-proof dressi ng.Persons suffering from infectious diseases, or from a helminthic parasitic infection, orwho have infected wounds, boils or other skin infections, or who are suffering fromdiarrhoea are not permitted to work in an aquaculture operation.Personnel who work in aquaculture shall, on their appointment and in one year intervalsthereafter undertake a health test to ensure that they do not suffer from any of the aboveconditions. Health documents of every person shall be kept at the facility and shall beavailable to the inspection authority on request.Any person entering an aquaculture facility must refrain from spitting or eating food,urinating or defecating, except in areas locations designated for these purposes, whichmust be away from fish production areas.

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12.7.2 First aid box

Each aquaculture facility shall be provided with a first aid box, which should contain at the minimum:

1. a sufficient quantity of impermeable dressings2. antiseptic cream or disinfectant3. cotton wool and adhesive tape

12.7.3 Exclusion of animals

Except in integrated aquaculture systems where food animals are deliberately introduced, domestic animals should be excluded from aquaculture operations and areas adjacent to ponds.

12.8 Cleaning, disinfection and pest control

12.8.1 General

Areas around the ponds should be kept clean and free from rubbish, waste fish and items not associated with the aquaculture operation

12.8.2 Cleaning and Disinfection Schedule

A permanent written cleaning and disinfection schedule should be drawn up to ensure that all parts of the fish farm facilities and equipment therein are cleaned appropriately and regularly.

A named person should be responsible for implementation of the schedule.

The schedule should be available for inspectors at all times.

Fish farm personnel should be trained in the use of special cleaning tools, methods of dismantling equipment for cleaning and should be knowledgeable in the significance of contamination and the hazards involved.

12.8.3 Pest Control Systems

A permanent written pest control schedule should be drawn up to ensure that all parts of the fish farm facilities and equipment remain free from infestations of inspect and rodent pests.

A named person should be responsible for implementation of the schedule.

The schedule should be available for inspectors at all times.

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12.9 Record keeping and batch identification

Effective records should be kept of each batch offish grown in each pond, to include veterinary drug regimes, feeding methods and quantities, pond fertilisers added and any results of water quality parameters.

The records should be kept for a period of one year after harvest.

Each batch offish leaving the farm for market or for processing should be allocated a batch number which relates it to the information records described in section 12.1

Each batch offish leaving the farm for market or for processing should be marked to include the following information:

• Approval number of the aquaculture enterprise• Name of the enterprise• Date of harvesting• Species• Batch Number

Managers should ensure effective procedures are in place to effect the complete traceability and rapid recall of any lot offish from the market.

12.10 Minimum Monitoring (own-check) requirements

Monitoring programmes should be implemented to ensure that:

• Waste and debris eg.dead or diseased fish does not build up and is disposed of in ahygienic manner;

• Personal hygiene and health standards are maintained• The pest control programme is implemented• Cleaning and disinfecting programmes are implemented• Quality of water and ice any supplies is maintained• At the time of harvest, residues of any veterinary medicinal products applied during

the life of the fish are below the MRLs (where specified).

The results of all monitoring actions, and of any corrective actions taken after monitoring must be recorded

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13 Responsibilities of the General Organization for VeterinaryServices:

The GOVS is responsible for conducting all the checks and procedures necessary to ensure that the requirements of this Decree are complied with.

Inspections and control activities will be conducted as frequently as is necessary to ensure an adequate level of control.

Inspections of export establishments, factory vessels, freezer vessels and aquaculture production facilities which supply product for export to the EU will be subject to an inspection at least every 6 months.

Inspection and control activities will include:

a) Inspection of the supply chain for export establishments, including fishing vessel,aquaculture production, landing sites, and transport conditions to ensure that theconditions at all stages meet those specified in this decree.

b) Inspection of the conditions in export establishments, factory vessels, freezer vesselsand aquaculture production facilities during production to ensure that the requirements ofthis Decree are complied with.

c) In particular to ensure that HACCP systems are implemented according to the writtenplan approved by the GOVS, and to check that critical limits are not exceeded.

d) In relation to general monitoring, the collection and analysis of appropriate samplesfrom different stages of production, of both product and the environment in whichproduct is handled, to include checks and measurements on:

• Hygiene conditions of production.• Presence of human pathogens, including parasites• Residues of veterinary medicines used in aquaculture• Residues of environmental contaminants (heavy metals, pesticide residues, other

contaminants)• Presence of any other hazards for which there is a risk (such as histamine,

ciguatera)

14 The Series of Steps to be Followed to Acquire an Establishment'sPermit for the Export of Fish and Their Products:

1- The exporter presents to the General Organization for Veterinary Services anapplication and fills out a registration form for the registration of an establishment andthe type of activity (Export of fresh or frozen fish) "attached"

2- The establishment is inspected by specialized veterinarians to determine the extent ofits matching with the General Organization for Veterinary Services conditions conforming to the European countries Union specifications. A report of suitability should be written down

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3- Consequent to the committee's minutes and the establishment's suitability report, anestablishment permit is issued containing the code number of the establishment(according to the attached prepared form).

4- All quarantine outlets are informed by the code numbers of establishments in an areaunder their jurisdiction in order to perform a veterinary supervision on suchestablishments in all the preparation stages and until export.

5- The veterinary health certificate for the exported consignment is issued from theexport outlet with the establishment's code number written on it.

6- A registry is created at the concerned department to record the data of everyestablishment

15 Verification of the Establishment's Code Number:

From left side: Telephone code for every Governorate of the Arab Republic of Egypt. - (F) : First letter of the word fish in English.

Establishment code number. Registered in Latin numbers

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