Veterinary oversight is essential when transporting and exporting fish products, said Galib Abdulaliyev, Azerbaijan's chief veterinary inspector and head of the Food Safety Agency's Animal Health and Biosafety Department.
Report informs that Abdulaliyev was speaking at the first Azerbaijan Regional Aquaculture Forum in Baku.
He said some businesses were unfamiliar with food safety rules and the legal requirements for transporting fish products.
"We share some responsibility for that and need to do more to raise awareness. But ignorance of the law does not exempt anyone from liability. Businesses engaged in this activity must also take the initiative. The Law on Veterinary Medicine lists the types of cargo subject to veterinary oversight, and fishery products are on that list," Abdulaliyev said.
He said veterinary oversight covered both unprocessed and processed fish products intended for human consumption, including live fish.
"For exports, the veterinary documentation must meet the destination country's import requirements. The agency's regional office must then issue a veterinary certificate before the shipment is dispatched," he said.
Abdulaliyev added that these provisions were included in draft veterinary legislation that was still being prepared and would be presented for discussion soon.