If it smells fishy, it’s because it’s rotten!

Back in 2000 there was 200 fish processing premises in Ireland, today that number is less than 100 as per industry reports (BIM). 

So why did so many processings plant go to the wall, why did they close and what were the reasons? 

The immediate question arises that surely it should have been the State’s seafood development agency to be concerned at this decrease and that they would have carried out a review of why over half of the country’s fish processing facilities closed in such a short time.

Has anyone asked the people whom lost their companies, and jobs, was there any review undertaken… was there any questionnaire to ask these processors for their opinion of what they think ultimately led to them having to close their doors? 

So let’s look at the timeframe and see if one can figure out what happened:

The SFPA was formed in 2004 operational in 2006, no questions have ever been asked of them as to how many premises they closed; how many closed on a voluntary basis after they inspected it; how many closures orders have they [SFPA] issued - both temporary and permanent closures. How many improvements notices did they issue? How many court closures orders requested? 

What people don’t realise is that the big problem in any sector of food production is that a company’s reputation is destroyed once it goes into court, or is issued with an improvement notice, because, in the eyes of the public, this indicates that company is producing bad food, IF the regulator is right.

But here is the crux of this: How many of the SFPA inspectors have the qualifications of the national Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) food inspectors, similar to the Environmental Health Officers that inspect all food production premises/ shops /factories - all except fish processing plants, which have been under the SFPA since 2006. While the SFPA will immediately claim that they have an internal ‘food safety’ department but that doesn’t answer the question as to do the same SFPA fishery officers that have, in previous years, marched around processing factories making threats and demands of its owners, in fact hold the actual qualifications required to carry out such duties?

Sadly that is a question that has never been put to any or all of the SFPA staff whom have been and are responsible for fish processing facilities in Ireland, and based on the SFPA’s executive management appearances in front of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture & Marine three times in the past two years, it is most likely that they would refuse to answer that question anyway.

But, to repeat and emphasise the point, no processor wants to bring publicity on themselves as food producers as it puts their integrity and reputation in doubt, so they accept what the ‘inspectors’ demand of them, and some (approximately half of them) just gave up and closed their doors rather than put up with often unreasonable, outrageous and sometimes very expensive demands of these possibly unqualified inspectors. 

So the question has to be asked how many of the current 200 staff of the SFPA have the third level  environment health qualification as required to be employed by the HSE. 

On top of the well publicised anti industry treatment of Irish fishermen, for processors the possible loss of one’s previous profitable and employment-providing business, work, income is not something that should be left in the hands of people who do not hold the proper education, training and State requirements as per the Department of Health.

And, on the point of SFPA being regulators for fish processing, it should be noted that ALL vessels that enter any port are subject to the requirements and laws of that State, and in relation to EU registered vessels, if they land in any EU state they are subject to EU law which supersedes national laws.

So, if you wonder where I’m going with this, if a vessel is processing fish or shellfish at sea, then that vessel is deemed, under EU law, to be considered as a processing plant and MUST have the hygiene standards that are required of fish processing premises onshore  - i.e. are there cameras observing the processing? … is protective clothing being worn?….is food cooking and processing sterilisation standards being maintained? Etc.

SFPA officers are the people warranted to inspect such vessels, be they fishing in any part of the world, but if they land into any Irish port. Or in such cases will the SFPA hold their hands up and say ‘we’re not qualified for such inspection of ‘processing at sea’ vessels’?

This ‘authority’ cannot demand one set of rules and regulations for onshore factories and then another set of rules for vessels processing fish at sea, particularly when EU law declares them to be the same.

*Note.

At a time when the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture & Marine have just published a report demanding that Government reexamine the 2006 Act that gave the SFPA the powers that has driven it to be the jackboot ‘authority’ it revels in being today… arrogantly believing itself beyond the reach of God nor man - - then surely the above article provides yet more food for thought and raises even more questions for the Committee and for Government when considering the recommendations of the report.