Government of the Federated States of Micronesia

PFC Employees and Others Attended US FDA and NOAA Training

PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Information Service): December 2,
1997 – The Pohnpei Fisheries Corporation (PFC) Processing
Facility and staff has been inspected and found to meet US
requirements, PFC Chief Executive Officer James Movick informed Vice
President Leo A. Falcam.

The inspection was conducted by two Consumer Safety Officers from
the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Sea Food Inspection
Team who were in Pohnpei from October 6 to 10, 1997.

It was a primary goal of PFC to have the PFC plant certified for
processing seafood for exportation as it is anticipated that the US
Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) will soon require all fish
processors and exporters to the US markets are certified, Movick
stated.

Five PFC, one FSM Health Services and one Pohnpei State
Environmental Protection Agency staff attended and successfully
completed the NOAA Seafood Inspection training and were awarded
certificate of completion.

Eleven PFC staffs successfully completed a FDA Hazard Analysis
Critical Control Point (HACCP) workshop which was also conducted by
FDA Officials.

PFC is probably the first facility in the Pacific Island Region to
obtain this certification, Movick said.

Additionally, Movick said all PFC staff, in all areas of
operation, should be commended for passing the difficult courses
involved which in some cases require two attempts before one can
successfully pass the test.

Funding for the training workshop was made available from the FSM
Congress with the support of the Pohnpei Delegation.