ISO
ISO 9000 Standards and the fish farm industry
The International Standards Organisation has developed standards to ensure quality in all European industries in order to achieve a degree of conformity and the protection of public interests, (health, safety and environment) and, therefore, easing product exports throughout the European Union.
ISO 9000 is a reference for quality management systems that monitor and ensure that defined standards are applied to all processes and all final products manufactured.
ISO 9000 Standards and the fish farm industry
Many standards exist in the aquaculture sector as in other industries. For example, standards for fish feed production, cage design and manufacturing materials, consumer safety as well as for final product conformity.
Some standards are recognised nationally, some internationally, while others are compulsory. Increasingly, commercial and consumer pressure is forcing the development and adoption of recognised standards by all facets of the industrial and service industries.
ISO 9000 is a reference for quality management systems that monitor and ensure that defined standards are applied to all processes and all final products manufactured.
The basic philosophy of ISO 9000 is the prevention of poor quality by the following:
- Agreed and documented responsibilities
- Written standards and procedures
- Commitment to training and education of the staff
- Involvement of all levels of personnel
- Measuring performance
- Identifying and correcting occurrences that do not conform with the standards defined
- Embarking upon a quality management system to ISO standard and subsequent recognition [through accredited inspection], from a fish farming perspective, is not to be taken lightly.
For example, ISO 9000 requires:
- Assessment and specification of all inputs that affect production and the final product (e.g. site, water source, cages/tanks, feeds, fish, etc.)
- Verification procedures - monitoring and continual assessment.
- A review and formalisation of the entire process from incoming materials to harvested output (e.g. source of juveniles, husbandry practices, stocking levels, feeding techniques, use of drugs, harvesting practices).
- A quality manual detailing all processes and procedures.
- Detailed and continually updated documentation of the key aspects of production and materials used through extensive record keeping.
- Establishment of limits and controls on the procedures employed.
- Training programmes for staff
- Internal auditing procedures
- A thorough examination of the site and of the evidence of the quality management system by an ISO-recognised inspector before accreditation.
ISO 9000 is not a legal requirement in itself, although many of the ISO requirements are (e.g. safety at work etc.). Indeed, many farms may not be eligible for ISO accreditation because the ISO Standard System has defined criteria, some farms may not conform (due to farm siting, structures etc.).
However, these aspects should not hinder a decision to adopt a policy of total quality management. The advantages that can be realised by the business are considerable:
- Objectives are clear to all (both to management and to staff).
- Finite resources are used in the most cost effective and productive manner.
- Bad suppliers vanish.
- Training is established and made formal.
- Product quality is assured.
- Quality assurance leads to new markets, out-competing similar products in the market place and sales premiums are to be envisaged.
- New clients/customers and International markets are made accessible.
- Profits are increased.
Quality schemes are difficult to put in place and to maintain, demanding considerable effort from management and staff. However, their impact cannot be underestimated. As ëdistance sellingí (by telephone or even through the desktop computer) increases, the ability to refer to a recognised quality scheme is not just a selling point, it is a guarantee to the client and the consumer.
Questions
- Are you fully familiar with Quality concepts?
- Do you know their cost?
- Would their effects assist your business?
Danger point
If you do not make a determined effort towards putting some of these quality management procedures into operations, be sure that your competitors will and you will soon be running at a loss or even out of business as customers vote for quality management with their feet.
Training checklist
See checklist for sourcing more information on quality management systems and ISO.
Quality Systems
- National or other quality production schemes, specific for a given species under cultivation
- HACCP Systems: design and implementation
- ISO 9000 Quality Management Systems: design and implementation