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VISAKHAPATNAM, Nov. 20

WITH shrimp exports from the country continuing to face the threat of rejection in the US and other export markets due to antibiotic contamination, the Andhra Pradesh Government has taken the lead to to bring out an Ordinance to regulate antibiotic inputs in the aquaculture sector.

The State Government had informed the seafood industry that a draft policy on stemming the use of antibiotics in shrimp farming had already been prepared, according to Mr T. Raghunath Reddy, president of the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI).

He was speaking at a meeting organised by the Mumbai-based Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE) and the Confederation of Fisheries and Aquaculture Welfare Organisation (COFAWO) to foster Government-industry partnership here on Wednesday.

The proposed regulation comes in the wake of the increasing concern expressed by the seafood exporters over "indiscriminate'' use of antibiotics at almost every stage of shrimp culture.

In fact, some shrimp consignments from India were turned back by US importers recently as they were found to contain antibiotic residue.

Mr Reddy said the Ministry of Commerce also was in the process of setting up 11 well-equipped laboratories to detect antibiotic residue in shrimps, including three in Andhra Pradesh at Bhimavaram, Nellore and Kakinada, at a total cost of Rs 17 crore. The investment includes Rs 3-crore contribution by the industry.

Further, the fish landing centres were also proposed to be given a face-lift over the next six months to prevent contamination of the shrimp brought ashore by the deep-sea fishing sector.

These measures assume significance in the light of the fact that seafood exports to the US and EU were facing the "strictest regulations'' after the September 11 strikes.

A major part of the interaction between scientists from various fishery research institutes and representatives of aquaculture sector and seafood export industry was devoted to the use of antibiotics in shrimp farming and the need to usher in a regulatory mechanism and educating the farmers on application of various inputs into the ponds on scientific basis.

The CIFE Director, Mr S.C. Mukherjee, urged the industry to fund research programmes for evolving solutions to the problems faced by it.

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