Ministerial Decision No. 12 of 2009 issuing Fishery Quality Control Regulation.

This Decision issues the Regulations on Fishery Quality Control to achieve the safety and quality of fish and fishery products, whether prepared for local consumption, exported or imported, to protect the consumer health. The Regulation, consisting of 83 articled divided in XIV Chapters, establishes that: preparation, processing, handling, marketing or transportation of fish and fishery products requires a license; import and export of fish and fishery products requires the registration of the establishment with the competent authority and the obtainment of the quality control certificate by meeting the required conditions. The Regulation deals also with: mandatory powers of competent authority; inspections; records of landing sites and the types and quantities and dates of fish purchase or any other details; monitoring of the establishments relating to hygiene practices and HACCP system or any other system; procedures for suspension of the establishment activity; procedures and control measures for the safety and quality control of the products; control measures of the preparation of samples and their transportation; additional conditions related to chilled and frozen fish, fishery products and crustaceans; conditions for displaying and marketing of fish and fishery products; labelling rules and cards; requirements for auction yards and wholesales markets; condition for establishments on land; canning operations; smoking processes; salting operations; crustaceans and shellfish cooking process; packing process.