IMAQulate project resources

Use of Probiotics in Aquaculture (Cruz et al., 2012) (ISRN Microbiology)

Cruz et al. summarise the usage of probiotics in aquaculture, how these came to be widely used, safety measures to be carried out and future prospects for their use. 

India wants EU to warn seafood exporters before blacklisting (The Economic Times)

The Marine Products Export and Development Authority (MPEDA) of India has urged the EU to warn seafood exporters of antibiotic residues and allow time for them to remove the inadequacies before delisting the company. 

Indian shrimp exports to the EU have contained increasing levels of banned antibiotic substances in recent months, leading to the threat of a ban on Indian shrimp exports to the EU. EU sampling of shrimp exports has risen to 50%, compared to 10% last year, as a result of this. 

EU official: India shrimp farm compliance on antibiotics ‘insufficient’ (Undercurrent News)

The issue of antibiotic residues in India's shrimp exports to the EU is ongoing. At the 21st India International Seafood Show (IISS) in Goa, EU counsellor for health and food safety to the EU, Wojciech Dziworski, said:

'In India there is still a challenge with primary production, intermediaries and the final step of production, something which needs to improve. The use of feed, and feed supplicants, the knowledge is not necessarily there and the controls are not necessarily to the degree that ensures there are no forbidden substances.'

Over-use of antibiotics in fish-for-food industry encourages bacterial resistance and disease (www.eurekalert.org)

Research from the New York Medical College published in Environmental Microbiology in 2006 that heavy use of antibiotics in aquaculture is detrimental, through increased antibiotic resistance, not only to the farmed animals but the humans who consume them. The paper recommends prophylactic health management practices over the application of antibiotics.

India’s Blue Revolution focuses government, private sector on upping fish production (www.SeafoodSource.com)

The Indian Government plans to continue India's 'blue revolution' in aquaculture growth, improving training and capacity-building of fish-farmers, encouraging species diversification and proper fish health management, and strengthening the country’s scientific research and the science community’s advising of the private sector.

Awareness campaign for Kerala's fish farmers on the cards as EU tightens screws (The New Indian Express)

The Kerala state government is launching an awareness campaign to educate fish farmers on the issues surrounding antibiotic usage, including sanctions on exports. The campaign will target farmers, processors and other stakeholders and aims to reduce the levels on antibiotics being found in India's shrimp exports for which it is risking a ban on exports to the EU.

The move is aligned with the directives of the Union Agriculture Ministry, who are pushing for central and state governments to resolve the issue of antimicrobial traces being found in aquaculture exports, particularly originating in shrimp hatcheries and farms.

Charoen Pokphand Foods Plc announce policy on antimicrobials (www.cpfworldwide.com)

Charoen Pokphand Foods Plc (CPF), a livestock and aquaculture feed company based in Thailand, have announced their global policy on use of antimicrobials in their products. The policy, which will take effect immediately for global implementation by 2020, states that: 

'The global vision on antibiotics use in animals is to affirm the sustainable production of safe and quality food. Antimicrobials will be used responsibly, taking into account all factors of proper animal care. It must also be in line with sustainable development practices and customer satisfaction. Importantly, to use antimicrobials reasonably and responsibly, CPF is also placing emphasis on disease prevention practices that will minimise the need for antimicrobial use.'

Risk of an EU ban on Indian shrimp imports (ShrimpNews.com)

The European Commission is getting increasingly frustrated at imports of Indian shrimp containing traces on antibiotics, and at continued non-compliance and lack of action by the Indian authorities. This has led the EU to ban imports from processing plants from which these shrimp come from, and raises the risk of a ban on Indian shrimp imports into the EU. This could potentially have knock-on effects in other countries including the US, where 50% of shrimp come from India. 

Ecuador, already the EU's largest shrimp supplier with 24% market share, have said that they are 'ready to step in' and increase production and exports if a ban is put in place. Ecuador has a clean record on antibiotics in shrimp. 

Update 11/10/2017: Andhra Pradesh has announced that it will curb shrimp farming antibiotic use by streamlining aquaculture regulations and raising awareness among stakeholders. 

Chennai lab to begin 3D mapping of brackish water resources (The Times of India)

Scientists from the Central Institute for Brackishwater Aquaculture will soon begin mapping the brackish water in the district in an effort to promote farming activity in coastal areas using a combination of satellite images and ground surveys. Existing data is unreliable and this research will improve data potential sites for aquaculture developments.

AP lags behind in prawn, fish processing units (The Hans India)

Andhra Pradesh is 'marching ahead' in shrimp and fish production but lacks food processing units needed to match the growing demand for processed fish. 

In the first quarter of the 2017-18 financial year, aquaculture in the state grew by 42% against the target 36%, however there are fewer than 80 processing units - not enough to meet a growing demand according to T V Ramana, Dean of the Faculty of Fish Science, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati.

New probiotic could reduce the impact of intensive shrimp farming (Intrafish)

Research by the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) and the country's Central Institute for Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA) suggests that Cibamox probiotic water treatment could be effective in reducing ammonia build-up in shrimp ponds.