Concern Over Continued Ban on Indian Shrimp Exports by US Leading to Shutdown of Seafood Companies

The fishing community in Kochi is facing a crisis as the ban on Indian shrimp exports to the US continues to wreak havoc on seafood companies. The ban, which was imposed due to concerns about sea turtles being caught and killed during trawling, has left many businesses struggling to survive.

Kerala Matsya Thozhilali Aikyavedi state president Charles George is urging the Centre to take steps to ensure that the ban is lifted. He pointed out that there have been no reports of turtles being caught in marine catches during trawling and emphasized that the ban is only serving to protect the economic interests of the Southern Shrimp Alliance in the US.

In an effort to address the concerns raised by the ban, the central institute of fisheries technology has developed a turtle excluder device (TED) that can be fitted in trawl nets at an extra cost of Rs 25,000. Charles George highlighted the impact of the ban on companies like Cochin Frozen, which have been forced to shut down, and emphasized the need for urgent action to support the fishing community.

A one-day meeting on the TED issue will be held between experts and the boat owners’ association on July 18 to discuss possible solutions to the ban and its impact on the seafood industry. In the meantime, countries like the European Union, Japan, and China have been importing Indian shrimp at lower prices, but the fishing community is hopeful that the ban will be lifted soon to resume exports to the US.