February 15, 2007

 

Indonesia fumes over Japan's rejection of its shrimps

 

 

Japan has rejected 15 containers loading 180 tonnes of frozen shrimps from Indoneseia worth at total of US$1.5 billion in January, causing Indonesia to see red over what it says are stringent requirements.

 

The shrimps were said to contain anti-biotic content that surpasses the maximum limit applied by Japan.

 

At least four of the containers were from East Java.

 

The Indonesian shrimps were said to have over 1 milligram of antibiotic part per tonne, way over the 1 part per billion (ppb) maximum limit applied by Japan.

 

The containers were forced to turn back to Indonesia, inflicting losses of an estimated US$2.4 million.

 

Director General of Aquaculture Development at the Department of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Made L. Nurdjana lambasted the stringent requirements that the shrimp-importing countries applied, insisting that the common requirement was 1 ppm, part per million, and not a part per billion that Japan is asking for.

 

It was next to impossible for national exporters to meet the 1 milligram of antibiotic per tonne requirement, he said

 

Japan also required that a shrimp pond be free from worms, rats, birds or chickens, he noted.

 

Made also described the EU's strict requirements for fishery products as illogical.

 

Given that Indonesia has 50,000 hectares of ponds, supervision would be difficult, if not impossible, he said.