IMPORTERS REQUIRED TO USE INSULATED FISH BOXES SUNDAY

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- Starting Sunday, all fish importers not
using the locally-made insulated fish boxes will not be able to bring their
consignments into Malaysia.

Deputy Director-General of the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority
(LKIM) Mohad Khazin Hamzah said that initially the authority was only enforcing
the ruling on at least 10 per cent of the fish imported so as not to burden the
importers and to allow them time to change their boxes.

"We only require 10 per cent usage initially because we are thinking of the
burden it will have on importers during the economic downturn, and hope that
they will absorb the cost slowly without suddenly increasing the price of fish,"
he told a news conference here Wednesday.

He said the authority had already postponed the implementation of the new
ruling for two years, but now it would be implemented in stages, with focus on
ensuring the freshness and safety of the fish.

"The insulated fish boxes have all the characteristics required to maintain
the quality and safety of the fish, compared with the current boxes which are
cheaper, have no insulation and are not durable.

"We need to use boxes with good storage characteristics to retain the
quality of fish in the country. The new boxes fulfil Sirim's standards and are
guaranteed to last for a maximum of three years," he said.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Fish Importers and Wholesalers and Marine Resources
Committee, in a meeting Wednesday, decided not to change to or use the
insulated fish boxes as directed by LKIM.

Its chairman, Yusoff Ismail, they refused to purchase the new fish boxes
because the plastic fish barrels used since 1988 in place of wooden barrels had
not created any problems for traders or consumers.

He told reporters after the meeting that so far they had not received any
complaints from consumers eating fish imported from Thailand which was
transported in plastic barrels.

"There are currently no issues regarding spoilt fish or poisoning," he
added.

-- BERNAMA