The Hindu Business Line : Stress on new strategies for seafood exports

THERE is an urgent need for adopting innovative strategies to achieve an export turnover of $3-4 billion in seafood exports by 2009-10, according to Mr Kuruvilla Thomas, Director (Marketing) of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA).

He was addressing exporters here at a workshop on `Strategy and preparedness for trade and globalisation in India with regard to fisheries sector', jointly organised by the MPEDA and the Seafood Exporters' Association of India (SEAI), with the support of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

He said culture fisheries would play a major role in boosting exports and there was also a large potential for earning more revenue from capture fisheries, particularly of tuna fish.

He emphasised the need for retrieval of market in Japan, market access initiatives in the US, promotion of value addition and diversification of fishing techniques.

``There is also a need for organic and sustainable aqua techniques,'' he said and added that antibiotic residues should be avoided in export consignments.

He said capture of just 45,000 tonnes of tuna fish was very meagre and efforts should be intensified to increase tuna landing to 2.13 lakh tonnes.

Mr Thomas said shrimp exporters should also try to promote consumption in the domestic market. "When there is a setback in the overseas market, there are no takers for shrimp even in the domestic market. There should be a cushion,'' he observed. He said there was a heavy demand for scampi in the domestic market.

The Principal Secretary (Fisheries), Mr S. Chellappa, said that in the aftermath of anti-dumping duties imposed in the US, the developing countries should try for technical collaboration with centres of excellence to improve the quality of seafood consignments.

He, however, found fault with the developed countries in asking the developing nations to phase out subsidies while continuing it for their agriculturists.

Mr Chellappa stressed the need for proper planning and strategies to overcome problems encountered in the post-globalisation phase.

UNCTAD representative Mr Abhijit Das said that they had undertaken a project to enlarge the capacity to influence evolution of international trade rules and the preparedness to meet challenges.

The SEAI Secretary-General, Mr K. Raghunath Reddy, said that they were expecting a favourable judgment from the International Trade Commission on anti-dumping duties. The issue would come up for hearing on November 2.

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