1. The exporter initially conducts sample tests of the shrimp in its own laboratory, which is located within the warehouse premises. 2. A request letter is then forwarded to the Fish Inspection and Quality Control (FIQC) of the Department of Fisheries (DoF) to conduct quality inspection and issue a Health Certificate. 3. Supporting documents supplied with the application are the Proforma Invoice, Packing List and Lab Test Report. 4. Once the completed application is received by the FIQC, an inspector visits the warehouse and assesses the quality control facilities available at the warehouse. If the inspector is not satisfied, it is the responsibility of the exporter to put in place the necessary equipment and ensure hygiene within the factory. 5. The whole application process will then need to be repeated. On the other hand, if the inspector is satisfied with the overall environment of the factory, the inspector collects samples of the shrimps to conduct bacteria and antibiotic tests. 6. While the bacteria test is generally done in the regional FIQC office (in this case, the FIQC Khulna office) and takes between 10 and 15 days, the antibiotic test is usually carried out at the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) in Dhaka and takes between 15 and 20 days. 7. If the samples fail any of the tests, the exporter is asked to rectify the issue and reapply. On the other hand, if the results are satisfactory, a Quality Certificate is issued on the products tested, which is forwarded to the exporter.
