TANZANIAN exports to the European Union (EU) increased by 74% to 405 million euros in 2000, compared to the previous year, thanks to the lifting of a ban on EU fish imports from Lake Victoria, the European Commission (EC) delegation here said Monday. “Fish exports now account for 28% of the total value of Tanzania’s exports to the EU,” EC Chief Delegate William Hanna said in a statement. Hanna described the trend as positive and encouraging, saying it demonstrated the commitment by the EU countries to provide free access of its market to developing African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. “We have been saying for a long time that access to the EU market is not a problem to Tanzania, but some people remained sceptical, saying that the EU market is not really open as it seems and that EU had some hidden agenda. This is not true,” Hanna said. The EU imposed a ban on fish exports from Lake Victoria after it was discovered that fish were being killed using pesticides to enhance the catch. The ban was, however, lifted for Tanzania last year after the country fulfilled some safety conditions and the EU also financed laboratory equipment to test the quality of the exported fish at the source. – AFP
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