Bangladeshi Shrimp Exporters Stop Export

Bangladeshi fish exporters, already hit by the global economic crisis, said yesterday they had temporarily stopped shipping fresh water shrimps after a harmful drug was found in some shipments. The voluntary six-month suspension was imposed after European Union nations returned 50 container loads over the past eight months because tests showed traces of the banned antibiotic nitrofuran, a top exporter said.

"It's a blow to our industry but we had to take the drastic measure and find out how nitrofuran is entering the shrimps, their farms and hatcheries," said Kazi Shahnewaz, who heads the Bangladesh Frozen Food Exporters Association.

"If the drug is not eliminated, the EU and the United States may impose a total ban on all types of our shrimps. Already we are hit hard by the global recession. A total ban would be a catastrophe," he said.