EU pushes for Indian shrimp quality focus on primary production

The European Union (EU), which takes 18 per cent of India’s seafood export (valued at $5.7 billion), is apparently displeased at the lack of official controls here on primary production of shrimp.

An EU audit team had visited Indian shrimp farming and processing facilities last November.

Trade sources in the UK say an EU official, at the recently concluded Brussels Seafood Show, had said the lack was undermining the ability of authorities to guarantee that non- eligible fishery products were excluded from export. The EU recommendations to India in the audit report are likely to focus on better control over primary production.

The EU official reportedly said the Indian system was geared tos monitoring of exporting producers only. Not sufficient, as it is not possible to distinguish between areas of primary production for the domestic market and for export.

The audit report is likely to suggest that the Indian authorities continue to ensure suppliers of shrimp to the EU are regularly inspected. The European Commission might ask Indian authorities for better cooperation with them on such inspection. The report of the November audit has not been published yet, as EU officials would like some preliminary results from a current audit that is looking at antibiotic residue, said a trade source.

The EU is worried over the use of antibiotics in Indian shrimp, something that has surfaced continuously in its findings. It had strengthened its inspection norms for aquaculture products from India. The earlier norm was to test samples from at least a tenth of consignments; this was enhanced to half in 2016.