Asean sets new shrimp standards

 

 

The Asean Shrimp Alliance (ASA) has stepped forward to establish regional production standards, aimed at heading off pressure from importing countries.

 

The draft of Asean Shrimp Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) was discussed in Bangkok by officials of some of Asean's leading shrimp-producing countries - Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand - which together produce one million tonnes, about half of global production.

 

The Asean Shrimp GAP standards will cover four areas: shrimp quality and sanitation; animal health and welfare; the environment; economic and social impact on producing countries.

 

Nanthiya Unprasert, deputy director-general of the Fisheries Department, said Asean's shrimp exports have faced growing non-tariff barriers in buying countries over recent years.

 

Barriers relate to farming processes, residues and price dumping, as well shrimp farming's effect on the environment. Asean standards meet some international requirements, but fall below standards such as the Aquaculture Certification Council (ACC) of the US.

 

Standards imposed by individual foreign buyers could also eventually add to production costs and weaken export competitiveness.

 

The recent meeting was not attended by Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore, which have been working on the issue since last year with assistance from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific.

 

Nanthiya said top officials of Asean's fisheries departments would discuss the final draft of the standards at their next meeting in Brunei on June 23-25, before the proposals are submitted to a ministerial meeting late this year in Cambodia.

 

ASA was formed in 2007 by Asean members, led by Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. These three countries controlled 42% of the world shrimp trade last year with combined production of 1.53 million tonnes.

 

The major markets for shrimp products are the US, the EU and Japan. Thailand exported 395,000 tonnes of shrimp last year. Indonesia shipped 137,600 tonnes and Vietnam 100,000 tonnes.

 

In the first quarter of this year, Thailand exported 87,998 tonnes of shrimp products, worth 20 billion baht, a rise of 21% in volume and of 26% in value, from the same period of 2009.