Last week, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), conducted a two-day “Training of Trainers” workshop for workers in the seabob sector. The workshop aimed to increase awareness on emerging local and international market requirements related to quality and safety of seabob products, from harvesting through to preparation. Seabob (Xiphopenaeus kroyeri), a shrimp species harvested from the Atlantic Ocean, is one of Guyana’s key exports, with the country being one of the world’s leading exporters.
This is the first in a series of planned trainings in this crucial area. The first cohort of about fifteen participants, included personnel from the Fisheries Department, Ministry of Agriculture, and Pritipaul Singh Investment (PSI), a leading private sector processing firm. Dr. Gillian Smith, FAO Representative, noted that this mix of public and private sector participants is important to ensure that stakeholders across the value chain have the right information to increase the opportunities for reaching new and demanding markets. The participation in the workshop also marks a step toward a long-term commitment to improving food handling and safety in seabob production.
Key focus areas of the workshop included a deeper understanding of food safety principles, hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP), the importance of food safety standards for enhancing market access, as well as strategies to further reduce waste and minimize public health risks.
Trainers from CRFM commented that, before the end of this year, more training will be offered to other industry stakeholders and to interested vendors and fishers. The FISH4ACP project will also assist stakeholders in developing and implementing a comprehensive Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Strategy for the seabob value chain. This will help to drive a strategy to enhance safety across the industry, further reducing the risk of injury and illness to workers and fisherfolk along the seabob value chain.
These initiatives are part of the FISH4ACP Programme which is implemented by FAO and the seabob industry, with funding from the European Union (EU).
