The fisheries sector is one of the most important non-oil sources
of income for the Sultanate of Oman. Small-scale fishermen are the
backbone of fisheries production particularly with the absence of a
robust industrial fishery in the country. The MAF has tried various
approaches to enhance the fisheries sector in order to meet the
stringent requirements of international trade. HACCP has been
highly recommended in the Omani's fisheries legislation and efforts
continue to protect both the health of the consumers and the
interest of its industry.
To ensure seafood safety and quality the supply chain must
incorporate the best practice on board and during handling of
seafood products (e.g. cleaning, bleeding and ice). Traceability
techniques from the primary producer (wild and farmed), through
post-harvest treatment, processing and distribution to the consumer
must be developed and attained. With the development of
the aquaculture industry in the country, an increasing emphasis on
the prevention of hazards at source will be essential. These could be
developed and disseminated through good aquaculture practices
and the application of HACCP in the different stages of the process
to complement the existing methods. Regional collaboration
among the different GCC countries sharing the same water bodies,
perhaps within the Regional Organization for the Protection of the
Marine Environment (ROPME) framework, Regional Commission
for Fisheries (RECOFI) or Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) food safety
committee would also be of great benefit to overcome safety
problems. Some of the collaborative work could be environmental
programmes involving surveillance to monitor the various contaminants
in the marine ecosystem and preventing them from
entering the food chain. It is suggested that an annual ‘food safety
awareness week’ be held in all GCC countries at similar times and
used as a platform to launch various programs for educating and
communicating with different stakeholders in the food supply
chain. Further efforts to unify the official food control system both