Seafood exports fall 53% on stiff EU norms.

As a state that account for the maximum production of scampi Andhra Pradesh accounts for the maximum export rejections. There have been nearly 24 export rejections by the EU so far since January 2009. While nearly 19 rejections have been with respect to scampi, about 20 to 21 were in the consignments from Andhra Pradesh.

Almost all the rejection was due to the use of nitrofuran, a banned antibiotic, which the farmers are using in the hatcheries and farms. A joint meeting of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), the inspection agency, the exporters and the farmers conducted in Vishakhapatnam since Thursday has stressed the need for the registration of hatcheries with MPEDA.

Anwar Hashim, president, Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) told ET that stringent quality tests would be made mandatory before exports are made. The MPEDA would, according to reports, also set up a laboratory for the exporters to do quality checks.

Though scampi is farmed in other states also, the export rejections are more from Andhra Pradesh. The aquaculture production in general, including scampi and shrimp, has seen a decline due to global economic slowdown and the fall in prices of shrimp, incidence of diseases in the farms, supply of poor quality seeds, etc are the other reasons for the general decline of aquaculture in the country.

Natural calamities like floods and competition from pacific white shrimp which is sold at a cheaper price have also affected aquaculture production. The shrimp production registered a 28.7% fall to touch 47,875 tonnes in 2008-09. The value also saw a fall of 28.7% to touch Rs 1,710 crore in the same period. The production from Andhra Pradesh saw a steep fall from 75,414 tonnes a few years back to 29,706 tonnes in 2008-09.