BFAR bans imports of live shrimps

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has suspended the importation of live shrimps species to protect the local shrimp population from contamination of Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS), a shrimp disease that is already prevalent in neighboring Asian countries.

The bureau has also banned the importation of crustaceans like crabs and lobsters which could be disease carriers.

BFAR director Asis Perez said Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) is now prevalent in neighboring countries Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, China and Indonesia.

The BFAR is also monitoring the spread of the disease in Singapore, Myanmar, Brunei and Cambodia.

“We are dealing with a disease unknown to us, all the more that measures must be undertaken,” said Perez.

EMS is characterized by death during the first 30 days of shrimp lifespan.

Infected samples show slow growth, corkscrew swimming and pale coloration.

BFAR said the cause of EMS is still unknown.

“The Philippines remains EMS-free as of the moment and BFAR is exhausting all efforts to remain so,” Dir. Perez said.

Following the suspension, BFAR has instructed its Fish Health Officers, Quarantine Officers and the Law Enforcement Quick Response Team (LEQRT) to implement monitoring, control and surveillance protocols at the ports of entry, airports and seaports in the country.

The bureau is consulting shrimp operators to formulate long-term solutions to the problems the industry is faced with.

Perez notes that the discuss opens up opportunities for the Philippines to revive its shrimp exportation prowess.

Agriculture Secretary Processo Alcala said last month that the Department of Agriculture (DA) is grooming the shrimp industry to once again become export-oriented after diseases caused by overcrowding caused the decline of the domestic industry several years ago,

From 1996 onwards, unsanitary practices in the farming of tiger shrimp in the country resulted to the closure of most hatcheries.

Alcala said the DA is now studying the potential of mangrove areas in Panay, Leyte, Negros, and Mindoro as strategic production areas.

Data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) showed that tiger prawn production reached 48,196 metric tons (MT) in 2012, up slightly from 47,494 MT in 2011. In 2010, production reached 48,161 MT.

Annual production value of tiger prawn in 2012 was placed at P1.089 billion, up from P1.85 billion in 2011. In 2010, production value was placed at 1.82 billion.

During the heyday of the shrimp industry in 1996, domestic production of tiger prawns was placed at 76,220 MT annually valued at P1.80 billion. This was slashed by almost half to 40,079 MT in 1997 because of problems in the industry. Production further dwindled to 36,854 MT in 1998.

The government has since then attempted to revive the local shrimp industry with the introduction of white shrimp and adopting stricter sanitary requirements in hatcheries.