KARACHI: Saudi Arabia has banned shrimp imports from Pakistan over ‘white spot disease’.
Pakistan exported about 2,016 tonnes of seafood worth $7.494 million to Saudi Arabia, including 189 tonnes of shrimp worth $2.175m in 2015.
The ban came in the wake of information circulated by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) regarding emergence of white spot disease in Pakistani shrimp. However, the MFD suspects misunderstanding as Pakistan has yet to start shrimp farming, and entire catch of shrimp consists of open-sea operations. The MFD believes that the disease only occurs in cultured shrimp as the white spot virus does not infect wild shrimp.
The department has urged the Fisheries Development Commissioner to approach Saudi Arabian government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for lifting the ban. Moreover, the department also seeks identification of the infected consignment, and the exporter who shipped it.
