The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 12/31/2010
The government has extended the ban on the import of shrimp from the species of penaeus vanamae due to reports that the shrimp carries thirteen viruses dangerous for human health as well as that of other shrimps.
According to Saut P. Hutagalung, the director of foreign marketing at the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, the ban, which took into effect on Dec.23, will last indefinitely until the virus can be contained.
“The import [of the shrimp] will be banned for at least the first semester of 2011,” he said, as reported by kontan.co.id.
He added that the ban was based on the scientific findings of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) which pointed out that the shrimp carried 13 viruses harmful for the health of humans and other shrimp species.
However, Fisheries Processing and Marketing Entrepreneurs Association chairman Thomas Darmawan said that the government should just limit and tighten vaname shrimp imports instead of implementing a full ban since the virus did not attack all countries.
“We can import from virus-free countries,” he added.
