Bangkok--9 Mar--TSA
Dr. Suraphol Pratuangtum, president of Thai Marine Shrimp Farmers Association (TSA) informed an open letter was sent to the Director General of the Fisheries Department by TSA. The letter requests the Fisheries Department to consider implementing Import Risk Analysis (IRA) or equivalent measures on imports of marine animals and products from Australia. This is to prevent possible contamination and risk of Gill-associated Virus (GAV) and Mourilyan (MoV) from entering into our shrimp farming system and thus jeopardizing sustainability of shrimp industry. Biosecurity Australia (BA) has initiated to employ IRA on Thai shrimp products on the ground that Thai products could be contaminated with 5 different types of virus. There has been no scientific evidence to support that imported shrimp products have caused damage to shrimp industry in Australia.
“TSA has found information and reports on the outbreak of GAV and MoV exclusively in Australia. There has been no report of disease outbreak in other countries. TSA is very concerned about this as each year Thailand imports sizeable quantity of marine animals and products from Australia. This poses a great risk to the sustainability of Thai shrimp industry. The contaminated products could spread the viruses into our natural waterways and subsequently infect marine animals, shrimp, and most importantly, enter into our farming system of white and black tiger shrimp. The future of our country’s major income earner of more than 80 billion baht annually and the livelihood of one million people involved in this industry could be jeopardized. To prevent and limit this risk of GAV and MoV which currently affects shrimp and marine animals in Australia, we’d have to urgently implement strict measures similar to Import Risk Analysis which BA is using with Thai shrimp products,” Dr. Suraphol said.
Regarding this matter, TSA has sent an open letter with scientific documents to the Fisheries Department which is the competent authority in charge of the nation’s fisheries and aquaculture. TSA urges Fisheries Department to urgently implement IRA and/or other equivalent measures on imported marine animals and products from Australia. This is to safeguard possible contamination of GAV and MoV and to ensure the sustainability of Thai shrimp industry. TSA has also sent a copy of the open letter and documents to BA to make Australia aware their marine animals and products could be contaminated and could cause disease outbreak in countries Australia exports to.
President of TSA adds that Import Risk Analysis which Biosecurity Australia will employ is an unfair trade barrier to trading partners.
Dr. Suraphol Pratuangtum
President of Thai Marine Shrimp Farmers Association
Tel: 086-686-5776