Chinese fish receives US ban

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The importing of a number of fish into the US from China has been banned due to health concerns.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that all farm-raised catfish, basa, shrimp, dace and eel from China has been banned, due to concerns over drug residues that are not approved in the US for use on farm-raised aquatic animals, were found on fish.

"We are taking this strong step because of current and continuing evidence that certain Chinese aquaculture products imported into the US contain illegal substances that are not permitted in seafood sold here," commented Dr David Acheson, FDA's assistant commissioner for food protection.

This is the first time the FDA has placed a countrywide ban on these fish from China regardless of the supplier, following continuous concerns over the levels of certain drugs found in the fish.

It was back in 2001 that the administration first placed an import alert on unapproved drugs in aquaculture seafood products, but the latest ruling comes after months of intensive research.

From October 2006 to May 2007, an import surveillance programme repeatedly found that farm-raised seafood imported from China was contaminated.

"It is FDA's policy to place firms whose products contain these drugs or additives on detention, but when it appears that the problem is not isolated but rather is endemic through a country, FDA may place the entire country on a detention without physical examination status for that product," said Dr Acheson.

The drugs and additives that were detected in the seafood were malachite green, fluoroquinolones, nitofurans and gentian violet. Used to inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungus on seafood and to
prevent parasite infection, in humans they have been shown to be carcinogenic, as well as increasing antibiotic resistance.

The FDA is quick to add though that the levels found are minimal, and do not "represent an immediate risk to public health".

The world's largest producer of farmed fish - accounting for 70% of the total produced - China is also the third largest exporter of farmed fish to the US, so the move comes as a blow to the industry.

Talking to USA Today, Kevin Wang, secretary general of the China Catfish Institute, a branch of the China Fisheries Association, said additional tests to check for these drugs would cost US $2000 to $3000 per shipping container.

"The costs of storage will be far more than that per month, as it could take two months before shipments are cleared from US ports and are allowed to enter the market. By the end, there will be no profits left for the companies," warned Wang.

"The majority of our factories meet the required standards. So by stopping all imports the US government is imposing a single solution for diverse problems," he added.

According to statistics from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), part of the US Department of Commerce, 90% of the total US supply of shrimp is imported, with 11.5% of the total US imports coming from China. The US also imports 100% of its basa consumption, with 8% of the total imports sourced from China. If the ban continues to be enforced, it is expected to have a profound affect on prices and availability.

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