May 3, 2007

Japan rejects shrimp from Indonesia's Sulawesi

Japan has rejected 15 tonnes of shrimp exported from South Sulawesi for antibiotic contamination exceeding the 5 percent limit set by the EU, a spokesman said.

Adriadi, chairman of the Indonesian Cold Storage Association (APCI) for South Sulawesi the rejection could proved to have a big impact on shrimp exports in Indonesia as Japan is country's top importer of shrimps.

Of Indonesia's total shrimp exports of 7,000 tonnes, 4,000 tonnes went to Japan, and the remainder went to the EU.

To solve the problem, Adriadi had asked the government to improve the capabilities of the Makassar-based laboratory in detecting antibiotic contamination.

Last week, Indonesian lobsters were rejected by authorities in Taiwan for containing higher levels of nitrofuran than allowed, prompting worries that the country may not be able to meet its shrimp export target this year.