August 6, 2004

Indonesia May Ban Shrimp Imports To Protect Farmers

The Indonesian government is considering banning or restricting imports of shrimp to the country to protect the local farmers.

At a recent meeting, officials of the Industry and Trade Ministry, the Maritime and Fisheries Ministry as well as shrimp farmers studied measures to cope with large imports of shrimp especially from China, Vietnam, Thailand and India, Director General for Agro Chemical and Forestry Product Industries Benny Wahyudi said here yesterday.

Wahyudi said there were calls for totally banning imports and for restricting imports by imposing quality standard, adding that importers are required to buy local product at a reasonable price.

The Industry and Trade Ministry and the Maritime and Fishery Ministry had agreed that import restriction is the best solution.

Meanwhile, the association of fishery companies (Gappindo) said Indonesia does not need to import shrimp. This is because domestic production is abundant and the country has a large surplus for exports.