Vijayawada: Kamineni Srinivas tries to clean up shrimp

Vijayawada: A nine-special task force including officials of the Drug Control Authority (DCA) and the fisheries department was appointed to control excessive use of antibiotics in growing shrimp in the state. Health minister Kamineni Srinivas who organised a meeting with officials of the fisheries and DCA at the minister’s camp office in Dr NTR University of Health Sciences on Friday discussed the adverse effects of using chloramphenicol and nitrofuran antibiotics on shrimp exports.

Dr Srinivas told the media that the state topped the country in shrimp exports with a turnover of Rs 16,000 crores per annum. This was 40 per cent of the country’s overall export of shrimp. The industry employs around 20 lakh people in the state, he said. Excessive use of antibiotics while growing shrimp from the hatchery stage to the farm was destroying the export markets and damaging the image of shrimp produced in the state, he said.

He said that the task force would monitor the use of prohibited antibiotics in shrimp culture. Stringent action will be initiated on stores selling these drugs to farmers. The task force also comprises representatives of shrimp exporters, drug traders, hatcheries. All aqua testing laboratories should acquire licence from department and appoint certified analyst, he added.