July 21, 2008

Frustrated Indian shrimp exporters are urging for stricter antibiotic testing at aquaculture farms due to shrimp consignments getting repeatedly rejected by the EU.

Year-to-date number of consignment rejections by EU has dropped to 10, down from 45 last year, but continuous use of antibiotics such as chloramphenicol or nitrofuran at aquaculture farms has raised concerns, according to Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) secretary-general Elias Sait.

Sait said chloramphenicol could cause anaemia while nitrofuran could damage the genes and cause cancer.

Exporters approached the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) over this issue and the authority has promised to install more testing facilities at farms. Two years ago, MPEDA took steps to ensure only quality shrimps went to processing centres.

Sait said the EU blacklists and stops trading with an exporter whenever antibiotic residues are found in shrimp, and getting out of the blacklist is a difficult process.

Last month, the UK rid of an Indian shrimp consignment after detecting residues of the potentially harmful antibiotics.

Shrimp exports accounted for 60 percent of India's marine exports last year, with the EU representing a share of 38 percent.