Govt to withdraw ban on prawn export
Thursday, 10 September 2009
Munima Sultana
The country's self-imposed ban on export of prawn to the European countries is likely to be withdrawn soon as the national experts have confirmed that poultry feed is the main source of toxic nitrofuran, which was found at higher level in some export consignments.
Sources said a national working committee has confirmed that the poultry feed is the main source of toxic antibiotic after testing more than 300 samples since the government imposed the export ban in May last for six month.
Official sources said export-related barriers have also come to an end after Belgium, from where highest 42 red alerts were imposed on the Bangladesh consignments, has changed their methodology to detect health hazardous antibiotic.
The Belgian authorities detected semicarbadize (SEM), a metabolite of nitrofurazon, from Bangladesh consignments after they took the whole part instead of standard practice of flesh parts of the prawn, where the toxic element was not found, for analysis under its new procedure.
They said Belgium veterinary authority restored the standard practice last month after the new methodology faced harsh criticism by its own experts.
"Belgium has changed the methodology as it has proved wrong," said Rafiqul Islam, project coordinator of Bangladesh Shrimp Foundation adding that "About poultry feed, it also is 100 per cent confirmed."
Though the export-related restriction has already been removed the government is still not ready to withdraw the ban as it needs to confirm about some other issues to make the nearly US$500 million export market stable.
The country's self-imposed ban on export of prawn to the European countries is likely to be withdrawn soon as the national experts have confirmed that poultry feed is the main source of toxic nitrofuran, which was found at higher level in some export consignments.
Sources said a national working committee has confirmed that the poultry feed is the main source of toxic antibiotic after testing more than 300 samples since the government imposed the export ban in May last for six month.
Official sources said export-related barriers have also come to an end after Belgium, from where highest 42 red alerts were imposed on the Bangladesh consignments, has changed their methodology to detect health hazardous antibiotic.
The Belgian authorities detected semicarbadize (SEM), a metabolite of nitrofurazon, from Bangladesh consignments after they took the whole part instead of standard practice of flesh parts of the prawn, where the toxic element was not found, for analysis under its new procedure.
They said Belgium veterinary authority restored the standard practice last month after the new methodology faced harsh criticism by its own experts.
"Belgium has changed the methodology as it has proved wrong," said Rafiqul Islam, project coordinator of Bangladesh Shrimp Foundation adding that "About poultry feed, it also is 100 per cent confirmed."
Though the export-related restriction has already been removed the government is still not ready to withdraw the ban as it needs to confirm about some other issues to make the nearly US$500 million export market stable.