Japan's "Great Catch".. Antibiotics in Shrimp Farming..NO Vietnam there is no need to use Antibiotics in your shrimp pools!!!

Ok... NOW do you really know whats in your Seafood?

January 8, 2012Vietnam

Japan Rejects Vietnamese Shrimp Because of Antibiotics

In 2011, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Japan rejected 56 shrimp shipments from Vietnam because they contained residues of the antibiotic enrofloxacin.  The shrimp were shipped back to Vietnam.  If the rejections continue into 2012, some shrimp exporters may have to shut down and some, if they get caught again, may face bankruptcy.

Truong Dinh Hoe, General Secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP), said conducting tests on the processed products prior to exports would not be a comprehensive solution to the issue because farmers would still use enrofloxacin in their shrimp feeds.  Asking farmers to stop using the antibiotic is out of exporters’ control, Hoe said.  VASEP has repeatedly urged the General Seafood Department to consider prohibiting the use of enrofloxacin in shrimp feed.

Pham Anh Tuan, deputy head of the General Seafood Department, said, “We are reviewing all of the drugs used in aquaculture and will eliminate all that contain enrofloxacin....”

Source: Tuoitrenews.  Shrimp Exporters Face Shut-Down Due to Antibiotic Residue. January 7, 2012.

Ok.. my 2 Cents worth ;)

Here in Ecuador the use of antibiotics in our shrimp production is against the LAW.. Especially antibiotics from the Fluoroquinolone family! Used to treat bacterias NOT viruses.. I suspect that the Vietnamese farmers were trying to use this above treatment as a broad-spectrum antibiotic hoping to kill nasty buggs that seem to be getting into their pools...without really knowing what they were really trying to protect their shrimp from. Great the Japanese caught these shipments from Vietnam and returned them.. our world wide shrimp farming industry needs to understand NO USE of Antibiotics MEANS DO NOT USE! Except that it looks as though the Vietnamese General Seafood Department is reviewing the use of ALL DRUGS used in aquaculture? What? ALL DRUGS... hey here in Ecuador we use ZERO drugs in our shrimp production... well unless you call adding to the feed some Pro-biotics and for breakfast a little citric acid (orange juice) drugs, as the health of our shrimp is very important to us and our consumers.

Because we care about what you eat.. we will keep you updated :)

My best .. Douglas