VIJAYAWADA: The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) has released a list of 20 antibiotics and pharmacologically active substances banned for use in aquaculture. On top of the list is the erstwhile wonder drug Chloramphenicol, once the last weapon against typhoid.

Most of these pharmacologically active substances on the list are also used for treating human beings.

The European Union (EU) was the first to oppose the use of Chloramphenicol in October 2001 after a food safety scare broke out in Germany over frozen shrimp imported from China, Vietnam and other parts of Southeast Asia.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States announced that it would increase testing of imported aquaculture products. Residue of Chloramphenicol in food consumed by humans can even result in aplastic anaemia, which leads to serious bone marrow diseases. Nitrofuran antibiotics are known to cause cancer and many other diseases.

Awareness camps

MPEDA deputy director G.Rathina Raj said that awareness camps had been organised in over 300 villages where the primary livelihood of the people is aquaculture. Antibiotics used in aquaculture, either for prophylactic or therapeutic purposes often accumulate in the tissue of aquatic animals.

Presence of anti-microbial drug residues in the edible tissues can cause allergies, toxic effects and changes in the intestinal microbial fauna. People in aquaculture feed and input shops have also been educated about the banned antibiotics. Pharmacologist V.Nagalakshmi said that antibiotics that are not known to have any such adverse effects are also listed because consuming them in sub-clinical doses will result in the microbial organisms developing primary resistance.

The resistance developed by microbes when patients do not use the drugs properly is called secondary resistance, she said.

Biggest market

According to figures with the MPEDA, the European Union is the biggest market for Indian shrimp. The EU imported 50,624 tonnes of shrimp from India in 2004 and in the next year imports went up to 55,759 tonnes.

In 2005, the EU imported 32 per cent of shrimp exported from India and among the other big importers are USA 16 per cent, Japan 16 per cent and South East Asia 10 per cent.

Though the US imports only half the quantity of shrimp EU is importing, the value is almost same.

The aquaculture season usually begins in the middle of February. There is a danger of the entire shipment being rejected, Mr Raj said.

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