The fallout from the coronavirus outbreak in Dalian, China, continues to cause havoc for seafood importers and traders, with a heightened inspection regime delaying seafood shipments across the country.
Tighter port inspections mean Indian seafood exporters are waiting 10 days to clear port. The inspections are being done “to protect the health of the Chinese people,” according to commentary in the Chinese business portal Hexun.
The report castigated what it said were Vietnamese media reports that the delays at Chinese ports were “deliberate” and said any checks were necessary precautions. It also pointed to “wrong acts” by India in subjecting “100 percent” of Chinese goods to inspection at Indian ports.
Meanwhile, China’s own serious issues with food safety in its domestic seafood sector came to light recently with an investigation announced into the use of a heavy-duty insecticide in local pond aquaculture.
Authorities in the seafood heartland of Shandong are investigating the use of dichlorvos by sea cucumber farmers. The use of the product – commonly used as an insecticide – has been highlighted by the Shandong provincial office of the Agriculture Ministry, highlighting China’s continuing problems with food safety in the seafood sector. At least 2,150 sea cucumber farmers in the province are being inspected, according to a statement from the ministry, which has established a hotline for the public to call with reports of dichlorvos use in the aquaculture sector.
And a separate public health worry has emerged in northerly Liaoning Province, home to the seafood hub of Dalian. The province experienced a 138 percent year-on-year increase in February in the number of hepatitis A cases in the province. The outbreak has been blamed on the consumption of undercooked or inappropriately prepared seafood. The provincial office of China’s Disease Control Centre has responded with a social media campaign advising consumers to wash and cook seafood properly prior to consumption.
Photo courtesy of Mark Godfrey/SeafoodSource
