May 2, 2014

EU, Japan warn Vietnam repeatedly on excessive antibiotic use in shrimp

Due to excessive oxytetracycline residues in shrimp exports, Vietnam has been warned by the EU and Japan 11 times so far in 2014, reports Asean China Centre.

Shrimp exported to the two markets were detected with oxytetracycline residues in excess of permitted limits, said Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

Vietnam's National Agro-Forestry-Fishery Quality Assurance Department (NAFIQAD) under the MARD was quoted as saying that in the Japanese market, since March 14, 2014 four more cases of excessive oxytetracycline residues had been discovered, bringing the total number of the cases since the beginning of the year to six.

Meanwhile, the EU has issued warnings over five Vietnamese shrimp shipments since early this year, 2.5 times higher than in 2013, said NAFIQAD.

Oxytetracycline is a type of antibiotic that is allowed to be used in seafood growing. However, the fact that Vietnam's shrimps have been continuously warned on its two large export markets pointed to an abuse of the antibiotics, the department assessed.

On April 16 the department sent feedback to Japan, assuring it will implement stricter measures to monitor the residues in all Vietnam's farmed seafood shipped to Japan.

Vietnam's shrimp export revenue hit US$2.5 billion in 2013, up 33% on-year, ranking the third among all shrimp exporters worldwide, said MARD's Directorate of Fisheries.