The success of the country was revealed in the recent draft report, prepared by the European Union (EU) Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) team. The team visited the country from March 24 to April 01 this year.
The draft report said: 'Improvements were seen in the residue monitoring system particularly in the laboratories. In contrast to the findings in 2010, the analytical methods used for the residue monitoring programme in crustaceans and for the pre-export testing are now validated and fit for purpose.'
The EU authority has sent the draft report to the Department of Fisheries (DoF) last week. The EU also downsized its list of recommendations, which are not fully addressed by the country's authority, to four from twelve of last year.
'We have improved much in all our aquaculture compliances that the last EU FVO team recommended, and it is reflected in the draft report,' Shamsul Kibria, joint secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock (MoFL), told the FE Friday.
'We will take measures to comply with the four recommendations, suggested in the draft report, within this year. We will provide our response to the EU authority regarding our initiatives to fulfil those recommendations by this month, and also request them to withdraw the stringent testing measure.'
'It's a matter of time, and we hope that the EU authority will take its decision in our favour, as the draft report has said about our improvements in residue control and fulfilling their other requirements,' Mr Kibria said.
Echoing the MoFL official, Mahbubur Rahman, director general of DoF, said though the report does not give any hint regarding the withdrawal of the 20 per cent stringent mandatory testing requirement, it will help us raise the issue of withdrawal to the EU authority.
The DoF chief said: 'We are now confident and hopeful about the withdrawal of the 20 per cent testing requirement, following our improvements.'
Exporters say withdrawal of the 20 per cent testing requirement that the EU authority had imposed on Bangladeshi shrimp export since July 15 last year, largely depends on the report of the team.
'This time the report will help exporters to seek justice from the EU authority,' an exporter said.
The exporters and officials have termed the visit as crucial for the shrimp industry, saying it would determine the fate of the country's third largest foreign currency earning item.
In 2010, local exporters received only four rapid alerts, while the number was 54 in 2009. It also proves the country's efficiency in complying with the foreign buyers' demands, the exporter said.
During the ten-day visit, the team scrutinised the present situation in residue control in living animals and animal products, and the control of veterinary medicinal products. The measures are seen as key requirements for export of shrimps to the 27 EU countries.
The DoF said during the visit the EU delegation monitored whether the country's fish farms, landing stations, depots and processing plants have enforced some key health and hygiene standards, suggested during its visit early last year.
The EU is the largest importer of Bangladeshi shrimps, accounting for nearly 50 per cent of the shipments made last year. The country exported shrimps worth $470.53 million in the July-March period of 2010-11 fiscal, recording a robust growth of 58 per cent.
Shrimp farming is one of the key sources of employment in the country's south-western coastal region. The country's 130 shrimp processing plants and tens of thousands of farms employ over one million people.
By Monira Munni
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.069 billion, up 17.5% compared to the same period in 2025. This is a positive result amid an uneven global shrimp market recovery, intensifying competition among major suppliers, and continued volatility in the international trade environment. However, this growth does not reflect a broad-based recovery across the entire sector, but rather is driven mainly by strong performance in a few markets and specific product segments—most notably lobster exports to China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports continued to decline in March 2026. Cumulatively, in the first three months of the year, export value reached USD 208 million, down 4% compared to the same period in 2025. The export landscape shows clear divergence across markets: while the U.S. and EU remain challenging, markets such as Russia, the Middle East, Egypt, the Philippines, and Mexico have emerged as growth bright spots.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Quang Ngai Province, shrimp farming costs are rising sharply due to लगातार increases in feed, fuel, and input material prices, while farm-gate shrimp prices are declining. This has significantly reduced farmers’ profit margins and increased production risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports are experiencing impressive growth, reflecting expanding global demand as well as the sector’s development potential. However, behind the strong growth figures lie limitations in production capacity and supply chains, highlighting the need for sustainable development in the coming period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East in 2025 and early 2026 have shown notable growth. However, escalating geopolitical tensions in the region have increasingly impacted export activities since March. This situation presents a challenge of balancing market expansion opportunities with rising trade risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Environment has instructed localities to base their stocking schedules on actual conditions in each farming area, while developing plans, allocating resources, and implementing synchronized measures for disease prevention and disaster risk management in aquaculture production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cakes and surimi exceeded USD 45 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025, indicating a positive outlook for this product segment amid recovering demand in many markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) During the week from April 4th to 10th, 2026, Quang Ngai province intensified its monitoring and law enforcement activities with the determination to eliminate illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Thanh Hoa’s shrimp sector is undergoing a strong transformation by accelerating the adoption of high technology, helping to improve productivity, increase profits, and meet market demands. The province currently has about 4,100 hectares of shrimp farming, with output continuing to rise despite stable farming area, mainly due to the shift from traditional methods to intensive and super-intensive farming.
(vasep.com.vn) Amid ongoing volatility in global seafood trade, Vietnam’s crab exports have made a fairly positive start to 2026. According to Vietnam Customs statistics, export turnover in the first two months of 2026 reached nearly USD 55 million, up 24% compared to the same period in 2025 and more than 2.2 times higher than in the same period of 2024. This indicates that crab exports are entering 2026 with stronger growth momentum, particularly in Asian markets.
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