٠٠:٠٣:٤٥The US Department of Labour (DOL) has added shrimp from India to its 2024 List of Goods Produced with Forced Labour. This decision follows a petition by the Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) and comes as a blow to India’s shrimp industry, which has already faced significant losses due to a ban on wild-caught shrimp imports imposed in 2019. The ban has resulted in a $500 million loss for the industry since its inception.
Timothy Nixon Prabu, Director at Diamond Sea Food, discussed the implications of the ban, saying, “This is a food industry. So human beings surely need food products. There is a lot of protein in shrimps. There are a lot of natural things that are good for human consumption are present in shrimps. So, I don't think they will ban these products ever and the ban won't last long.”
Prabu also addressed regulatory changes affecting the fishing industry: “The government has banned small fishing nets and clearly instructed us to use nets with bigger holes. The authorities are very strict on this. Apart from this, if our fishermen mistakenly catch any sea turtle or other rare species of fish and valuable fish in the sea then they are instructed to release it immediately to the sea. Also, in some specific areas where sea turtles can be found and rare species of fish can be found, the government does not allow the fishermen to go to these areas.”
He further explained the impact of the ban on different regions: “As per the government policy, millions of fishermen's livelihoods depend on wild-caught fish. They are catching the fish and shrimp and selling it to the exporters and selling it in the local market. So there is no ban in India and even for us there is no ban to export the materials to Japan, Europe and Dubai.”
Prabu highlighted the specific challenges faced by those involved in wild-caught fisheries: “Recently, the USA has banned sea-caught seafood. Because the sea turtles are caught while fishing. Since sea turtles are caught while fishing, they have banned the sea-caught wild-caught fish from India.”
India’s response includes implementing Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in trawl nets, designed to allow sea turtles to escape. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has approved one TED design, and efforts are being made to promote its use nationwide.
The recent report, presented at a global forum in Chennai, also highlights the need for India to establish regulatory programmes for marine mammal conservation to meet US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) standards.
While Indian scientists argue that traditional practices already include measures to protect marine mammals, further alignment with international conservation standards is necessary to restore access to the US market.
'Ban won't last long' - Producers react as US adds Indian shrimp to forced labour list, impacting $500 mln export industry
The US Department of Labour (DOL) has added shrimp from India to its 2024 List of Goods Produced with Forced Labour. This decision follows a petition by the Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) and comes as a blow to India’s shrimp industry, which has already faced significant losses due to a ban on wild-caught shrimp imports imposed in 2019. The ban has resulted in a $500 million loss for the industry since its inception.
Timothy Nixon Prabu, Director at Diamond Sea Food, discussed the implications of the ban, saying, “This is a food industry. So human beings surely need food products. There is a lot of protein in shrimps. There are a lot of natural things that are good for human consumption are present in shrimps. So, I don't think they will ban these products ever and the ban won't last long.”
Prabu also addressed regulatory changes affecting the fishing industry: “The government has banned small fishing nets and clearly instructed us to use nets with bigger holes. The authorities are very strict on this. Apart from this, if our fishermen mistakenly catch any sea turtle or other rare species of fish and valuable fish in the sea then they are instructed to release it immediately to the sea. Also, in some specific areas where sea turtles can be found and rare species of fish can be found, the government does not allow the fishermen to go to these areas.”
He further explained the impact of the ban on different regions: “As per the government policy, millions of fishermen's livelihoods depend on wild-caught fish. They are catching the fish and shrimp and selling it to the exporters and selling it in the local market. So there is no ban in India and even for us there is no ban to export the materials to Japan, Europe and Dubai.”
Prabu highlighted the specific challenges faced by those involved in wild-caught fisheries: “Recently, the USA has banned sea-caught seafood. Because the sea turtles are caught while fishing. Since sea turtles are caught while fishing, they have banned the sea-caught wild-caught fish from India.”
India’s response includes implementing Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in trawl nets, designed to allow sea turtles to escape. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has approved one TED design, and efforts are being made to promote its use nationwide.
The recent report, presented at a global forum in Chennai, also highlights the need for India to establish regulatory programmes for marine mammal conservation to meet US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) standards.
While Indian scientists argue that traditional practices already include measures to protect marine mammals, further alignment with international conservation standards is necessary to restore access to the US market.
The US Department of Labour (DOL) has added shrimp from India to its 2024 List of Goods Produced with Forced Labour. This decision follows a petition by the Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA) and comes as a blow to India’s shrimp industry, which has already faced significant losses due to a ban on wild-caught shrimp imports imposed in 2019. The ban has resulted in a $500 million loss for the industry since its inception.
Timothy Nixon Prabu, Director at Diamond Sea Food, discussed the implications of the ban, saying, “This is a food industry. So human beings surely need food products. There is a lot of protein in shrimps. There are a lot of natural things that are good for human consumption are present in shrimps. So, I don't think they will ban these products ever and the ban won't last long.”
Prabu also addressed regulatory changes affecting the fishing industry: “The government has banned small fishing nets and clearly instructed us to use nets with bigger holes. The authorities are very strict on this. Apart from this, if our fishermen mistakenly catch any sea turtle or other rare species of fish and valuable fish in the sea then they are instructed to release it immediately to the sea. Also, in some specific areas where sea turtles can be found and rare species of fish can be found, the government does not allow the fishermen to go to these areas.”
He further explained the impact of the ban on different regions: “As per the government policy, millions of fishermen's livelihoods depend on wild-caught fish. They are catching the fish and shrimp and selling it to the exporters and selling it in the local market. So there is no ban in India and even for us there is no ban to export the materials to Japan, Europe and Dubai.”
Prabu highlighted the specific challenges faced by those involved in wild-caught fisheries: “Recently, the USA has banned sea-caught seafood. Because the sea turtles are caught while fishing. Since sea turtles are caught while fishing, they have banned the sea-caught wild-caught fish from India.”
India’s response includes implementing Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in trawl nets, designed to allow sea turtles to escape. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has approved one TED design, and efforts are being made to promote its use nationwide.
The recent report, presented at a global forum in Chennai, also highlights the need for India to establish regulatory programmes for marine mammal conservation to meet US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) standards.
While Indian scientists argue that traditional practices already include measures to protect marine mammals, further alignment with international conservation standards is necessary to restore access to the US market.