Japan has lifted the inspection order on Indian black tiger shrimps (Penaeus monodon) after the export consignments were found to be free from any residue of synthetic anti-bacterial drug furazolidone.

This has been conveyed by Food Inspection and Safety Division of Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) to the Indian Embassy in Japan, Export Inspection Council of India and the Marine Products Export Development Authority.

The MHLW has also reduced the import inspection sampling frequency for black tiger shrimp to 30 per cent from the current 100 per cent. Black tiger shrimp, commonly known as the giant tiger prawn or Asian tiger shrimp, is a popular delicacy the world over and also forms an important segment of India’s marine products export basket. Japan consumes nearly 40 per cent of India’s black tiger shrimp exports, while it enjoys niche markets in the EU and the US also.

A two-member expert team had surveyed the black tiger shrimp hatcheries, farms, and processing units that export the variety during March.

According to KS Srinivas, Mpeda Chairman, it is a validation of the relentless efforts in raising the request at various platforms and through its trade promotion office in Tokyo. Mpeda, through its field offices and a society named National Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture, had been educating the farmers on better management practices and the ill-effects of using unknown inputs which may contain residues of antimicrobial substances such as furazolidone.

Mpeda has also been making sustained efforts to revive the production of black tiger shrimps by supplying high quality seeds from its new Multispecies Aquaculture Complex (MAC) at Vallarpadam in Kochi.

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