Exports of fresh water shrimp, second biggest foreign currency earner, to the European Union face a suspension for the next six months in the wake of cancellation of more than 50 consignments to the region due to the detection of health hazardous antibiotic-nitrofuran since January this year, officials said yesterday.“It's a voluntary restraint by the exporters who have agreed not to export fresh water shrimp until resolution of the problem,” said a top government official who attended an inter-ministerial meeting on the issue yesterday.The meeting, also attended by stakeholders of the shrimp industry, was held after buyers from the EU area detected presence of nitrofuran antibiotic in more than 50 consignments of fresh water shrimp (Galda) exported from Bangladesh.The total value of the consignments stands around more than Tk 60 crore, exporters said.“We have taken decision of not exporting galda(fresh water shrimp) to European Union for the next six months. But we will continue exporting other shrimps to this region,” Kazi Shahnewaz, acting president of Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA) told The Daily Star.Shahnewaz said the halt to galda exports to the EU will be effective from June 1.He, however, claimed that that the move would not hurt the sector in the long run. Officials at the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Ministry said the decision will be effective with immediate effect and no new application for export of fresh water shrimp to the EU will be accepted. Exports of salt-water shrimp or bagda will not fall under the suspension move, officials claimed.The latest move of halting exports came as a pre-emptive measure to avoid any sanction by the EU authority.After registering a growth of 3.64 percent in the fiscal year 2007-08, exports of frozen foods, mainly shrimp, now faces a slack period as the global financial meltdown bites demand. Export from the sector fell by 13.01 percent to $355.67 million during July-March of the current fiscal year from $ 408.87 million a year ago.Stakeholders said the health hazardous element comes from feeds, although the use of nitrofuran is prohibited in Bangladesh, with some suspecting that the element is coming through illegal channel of trade.“We have agreed in principle to suspend export of fresh water shrimp for the next six months,” said Maqsudur Rahman, the BFFEA vice president.Maqsudur said exporters will strengthen their monitoring activities as well as initiating awareness campaign among farmers to encourage them to avoid using feeds having nitrofuran.A foreign consultant is expected to be assigned for investigation into the source of contamination. Steps will also be taken to examine the water and soil of the shrimp farming areas, officials said.
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