The seafood export form Orissa is likely to be hit in the coming months following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Around 30 percent of the total shipment of seafood from the state, mainly the Black Tiger prawn, is exported to Japan.
As Japan is reeling under severe crisis in the aftermath the earthquake and tsunami, the export of seafood from the state is likely to fall sharply in the coming months, the exporters feared. The exact impact would, however, be known after a month, they said.
“The export of Black Tiger shrimp generally starts from April. So the exact impact on shipment will be known only after one month”, said G. Mohanty, the president of Orissa Seafood Exporters’ Association. Although the Black Tiger prawn is cultivated in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu in large quantities, the Japanese are particularly fond of this species cultivated in Chilika, Asia’s biggest brackish water lake and in West Bengal, he said. The Black Tigers worth around Rs 150-crore is exported to Japan annually from the state, he said.
The seafood export from the state is expected to touch Rs 600-crore this year against the last year’s achievement of Rs 428-crore. In 2008-09, seafood worth around Rs 350-crore was exported from the state.
Besides Japan, seafood, including the Black Tiger prawn, fish and crab, are exported to the European countries, USA, Gulf countries. The exporters, however, preferred export these food material to Japan as they were getting remunerative prices and timely payment. “If we lose Japan market, we will be certainly affected as other markets are unlikely to provide us high prices”, said another exporter.
This will ultimately affect the prawn cultivators in the state, the Mohanty said.
Meanwhile, the state government has asked the exporters to chalk out a contingency plan, so that the seafood export is not affected due to the natural disaster in Japan. “We have asked the exporters to chalk out the contingency plan”, said state’s fishery and animal resources development commissioner Satyabrata Sahu.
The exporters said, they have to find out new market for the export. “We have to look at Russia and South African countries”, Mohanty said.
