November 27, 2014

Argentina seeks China approval for shrimp feed additive sulphite

Concerned officials of Argentina and China have met to thresh out issues affecting the fisheries-aquaculture sector, including the use of additives like sulphite, a kind of salt or ester of sulphurous acid, which Argentine shrimp farmers use.

There has been an increased demand for Argentine shrimp in China in recent years, but both countries disagree on the use of sulphite in growing shrimps for export.

Argentine Undersecretary for Fisheries and Aquaculture Miguel Bustamante stressed the importance of the meeting, which was held in Beijing, China, early this month, as "very important to us, almost essential to ensure and increase our exports in 2015, given China's growing demand for shrimp." 

Bustamante said he had asked the deputy director general of China's Department of Food Safety, Zhang Leishi, for authorisation on the use of additives.

"The authorization of the use of additives in China involves different agencies with different responsibilities in health control of fishery products. This meeting allowed us to generate a direct connection mechanism that will result in peace for our export fisheries sector in general and, in particular, of shrimp due to the use of metasulphite," he said.

The 5th meeting of China-Argentina Subcommittee on Fisheries was co-chaired by Bustamante and Zhao Xingwu, director general of China's Ministry of Agriculture's Bureau of Fisheries.

During the meeting, both countries agreed to enhance cooperation in aquaculture and fishery science and technology, and to hold the second training course for Argentine technicians in early 2015.