The Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA), an association of 8 southern US states engaged in warm water shrimp fishery, has alleged that the Indian seafood exports are sub-standard and sought the intervention of the US Food and Drug Administration to increase testing of Indian seafood imports. It has also demanded that an alert be issued on all shrimp imports from India, according to a report in Business Line.
The SSA has based its allegations on the reported dissatisfaction of the European Union with the shrimp produced in India. They also point to the rapid growth in seafood exports to the EU in recent times and the rising number of rejections. Coming as it were at the initiation of the sunset review over anti-dumping duties on Indian shrimp exports to the US, some exporters are apprehensive over its impact on the entire review process.
Countering the allegations, the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) said there had been no more rejections on scampi (shrimp) exports since September / October when the testing guidelines were modified. The Centre had submitted that the tests should be conducted on the edible meat of the exports and not on the external skin, shell or scales, which are not consumed. Once this contention was accepted by the EU and testing procedures modified, rejections on scampi exports have come down drastically, according to sources.
Source : fnbnews.com