According to the Thai Frozen Food Association (TFFA), processed fresh shrimp exports are expected to contribute as much as USD 2.3 billion, or about 65 per cent of the total despite the implementation of new European Union (EU) rules, The Bangkok Post reports.

From 2010 onwards, the EU will ban seafood products suspected of originating from illegal, unregulated or unreported (IUU) fishing. Imports will need to be non-IUU certified from competent authorities -- in Thailand’s case, the Fisheries Department.

"Generally, the Thai fishery is a small-scale business and it is quite hard for fishermen to prepare paper documents as required by the EU," TFFA President Panisuan Jamnarnwej said.

Nearly 90 per cent of Thailand’s total shrimp production of 520,000 tonnes in 2009 comes from about 32,000 farms, according to the Fisheries Department.

An improvement in farmers’ skills has led to a surge in Thai shrimp production in recent years, said Panisuan. Most exports are of vannamei white shrimp, which are easy to raise and have a high survival rate.

The TFFA estimates Thailand will export about 362,000 tonnes of shrimp products by the end of 2009, worth THB 79.08 billion (USD 2.307 billion). Major exports markets are the United States, Japan and the EU.

This year, marine product exports -- including shrimp, fish and cuttlefish -- will total 882,600 tonnes, with a value of THB 119 billion (USD 3.47 billion).

Farm-raised white fish, in particular tilapia, has strong export potential in many markets, Panisuan said.

Producers should also be concerned over issues such as child and forced labour, social responsibility and product sanitation -- factors that are increasingly being taken into account by foreign buyers, Panisuan added.

Source: FIS

Updated by Vietfish Community