The PNG Standards for Fish and Fishery Products ("PNGSFFP") is a subordinate legislation upon its publishment in the Official Gazette. The fundamental objective of the PNGSFFP is to ensure consumer protection and public health. The PNGSFFP sets the PNG regulatory framework for seafood safety and facilitation of trade, provides for specific market hygiene rules and market access requirements to ensure fish caught and traded are caught from legal sources that comply with all relevant laws and regulations of the flagged states, and also lays down the conservation and management measures. The National Fisheries Authority is responsible for the enforcement and implementation of the PNGSFFP in its entirety. The PNGSFFP sets the requirements required for licensing; growing and harvesting areas; buildings, facilities, location and general services; hygiene and good manufacturing practices applied in fish processing; additional facilities including ice plants, cold storage, landing sites, and transporters; traceability and product re-call; fishing vessel operations; microbiological, chemical and physical criteria for fish and fishery products and water testing; food safety management systems; organisation of official audits and inspections; and export and import.
Waste storage and disposal facilities will be provided to integrate a temporary storage with connection to food handling and processing areas and a waste storage area independent to the processing facility. Water supply facilities will be improved to ensure adequate permanent potable water or clean seawater supply. All processing establishments will be provided with an efficient effluent and waste disposal system. The general requirements for hygiene and good manufacturing practices will be applied by facilities that are involved in processing of fish and fishery products. Good hygienic practices will be employed to avoid creating an environment conducive to pests. The processing and export establishment shall keep records of each lot of fish and fishery products processed for inspection by an Authorized Officer. The traceability and product recall system will be effectively implemented to trace products, ingredients, suppliers, retailer, processing operations or storage procedures through the production chain. Hygiene requirements laid down for fishing vessels include freezer vessel, factory vessel, ice vessels and vessels not out at sea longer than 24 hours, and foreign-flagged vessels intending to land fish in PNG for processing. The PNGSFFP sets out requirements for microbiological, chemical and physical testing criteria of fish and fishery products throughout the food chain from primary production to final consumption, to prevent risks to consumers. Food safety management systems will be developed and a quality control system for food safety assurance will be employed based on the principles of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Concept. Hazard analysis will be conducted for each processing step to determine the significant hazard using a systematic risk evaluation methodology which assesses the likely occurrence of hazards and severity of their adverse health effects. The authorized officers of the National Fisheries Authority shall perform official control and related food safety functions, including inspection and monitoring of a facility s ability to meet the structural and operational requirements of the PNGSFFP; product specification; pre- requisite requirements; and HACCP programme requirements.
The PNGSFFP lays down the requirements for export and import facilities and terms and conditions for licensing and permit. The export facilities will be licensed and subjected to the general international trade requirements for endangered and vulnerable species and CITES requirements. Imported fish and fishery products will be caught, handled, processed, stored, packaged and transported in compliance with requirements in this Standard.