Patagonian shrimp, Pleoticus muelleri. (Photo: Grupo de Estudos Pesqueiros)

Argentinean shrimp imports planned to be released by April

BRAZIL
Thursday, March 21, 2013, 02:40 (GMT + 9)

The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA) is planning to release Argentinean frozen shrimp (Pleoticus muelleri) from April.

To initiate the purchase of the crustacean, the statistical monitoring model of the volume to be annually imported must be finished and a report on the Animal Health Import Requirements must be submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply.

It is expected that what has been stated in the text effectively enables the release of an initial import of 5,000 tonnes of Argentinean shrimp and its entry into "the Brazilian foreign trade system," the ministry reported.

While Brazilian shrimp farmers evaluated the possibility of filing an action in court to try to prevent the entry of the Argentinean product, MPA stressed that it is not willing to reverse its decision to admit the entry of the resource to the country, reported Tribuna do Norte.

"The request is being assessed by the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Monitoring and Control regarding animal health issues, and should be accepted by other sectors of the Ministry to respond in relation to trade and economic issues presented by the supply chain," the MPA added.

The Fisheries Ministry said that "non-technically based ban of shrimp imports from Argentina would affect the basic principles of the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures of the World Trade Organization (WTO)."

On the other hand, members of the Brazilian shrimp industry are facing another problem: limited access to loans and difficulties in increasing production.

Last January, MPA head, Marcelo Crivella, travelled to Argentina to "start the local inspection process."

The chairman of the Brazilian Association of Shrimp Breeders (ABCC), Itamar Rocha, said they had a meeting at the Ministry and the executive secretary, Átila Maia, explained that "the import issue would not be discussed," Diário do Nordeste reported.

"Rocha spoke about increasing production and reducing prices. Two days later, we learned that the minister Crivella was in Argentina," he added.

From the ABCC they recalled that Brazil has not bought shrimp abroad for three years due to disease spread risk.

Related article:

- Five thousand tonnes of frozen Argentine shrimp to be imported

By Analia Murias
editorial@seafood.media
www.seafood.media

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