Standardisation of Fish and Fishery Products in Somalia: Ensuring Quality, Safety, and Trade Prospects

Somalia, which has the longest coastline in Africa, has a large potential to exploit fisheries with issues of quality, safety, and trade. A research study shows that significant post-harvest handling problems are lack of proper cold storage, poor hygiene behaviour and lack of refrigeration, which hasten the process of spoilage and deteriorate products. Implementation of regulations is still poor, and exporters are not able to overcome the obstacles regarding certification like ISO 22000 and HACCP. The measures proposed are the improvement of the infrastructure on the cold chain, training and capacity building, the use of international certification and traceability systems, and governmental assistance and cooperation. These measures may enhance the quality of products, increase the competitiveness of Somalia in the international markets, and have a sustainable economic growth with the fisheries industry.