SEAFOODNEWS.COM [CQN] translated by Amy Zhong – February 9, 2018
Beijing Capital International Airport has imported 7,361 tons of fresh salmon in 2017, which grew by 70.31 percent from that of the year before, according to Beijing Inspection and Quarantine Bureau. These salmon are from main aquaculture regions all over the world like England, Norway, Chile, Australia, Canada, the U.S. and Faroe Islands. The dramatic increase is a result from new measures the Beijing bureau has taken to promote seafood import.
First, the bureau’s inspection items are classified according to different risk levels and a greater level importance was attached to highly risky ones. Second, the bureau spent more effort increasing efficiency and it was required to finish potentially risky inspection items within 72 hours. Third, there was a significatn reduction in the sampling and examination proportion. The proportion of on-the-spot inspection contracted from the previous 100 percent to the current 30 percent, while that of lab examination dropped further, to 5 percent. Commodities that are not sampled can be cleared through fast lanes. Fourth, more attention was paid to relevant supervision. The bureau examines importers’ refrigerated warehouses as well as their sales and import records randomly. Fifth, it established a credit system of importers for better management.
In 2015, the bureau took a series of measures to make it more convenient to import fresh food. Thanks to this action, the local airport’s import of fresh salmon jumped from 154 tons to 4,327 tons within two years. It reflects the great demand of Beijing citizens for these imported seafood products. Thus, the bureau decided to adopt more measures to hasten the clearance of seafood and other food products. Thanks to these measures, consumers can get access to salmon that have been harvested the day before. Furthermore, zero food safety incidences last year has meant they can enjoy foreign seafood products without any concern.