Cost of implementing EU sanitary standards and HACCP system in Kenya’s fish industry

Abstract

This study is set on the background of recent bans on fish exports from Kenya (and other East African countries) to the EU between 1996 and 2002, due to unsatisfactory sanitary and phyto-sanitary conditions. To have the ban lifted, Kenya had to put in place systems to ensure that fish exports complied with the EU sanitary standards on fish and HACCP. The implementation of this system involved significant capital re-investment both by the government and the private sector. This system has to be sustained, and further capital reinvestment in infrastructure is necessary to ensure continued fish exports by Kenya to the EU and other export destinations.