China destroyed 46.7 tons of seafood found to have excess traces of chemicals used in aquaculture, including malachite green and chloramphenicol, an antibiotic used to treat infections.
The seafood was destroyed in the first half of 2021, according to China’s Ministry of Agriculture, which inspects aquaculture facilities and sets standards. According to the ministry, seven substances were found in the seafood which was destroyed. However, overall compliance levels reached 99.6 percent in H1 2021, according to the ministry.
Worries about excessive chemical residue in local aquaculture have long been a driver of Chinese consumer demand for imported seafood. With imported seafood supply squeezed by COVID-19 restrictions in China, local retailers have increased their scrutiny of local supplies.
China in the past week temporarily barred two export firms from access to its market after customs authorities reported finding traces of COVID-19 on their packaging. Ribbonfish exporter firm CV Indo Pacific based in Indonesia has had its access to the market suspended for a week while Ecuadorian shrimp exporter Expalsa Exportadora de Alimentos SA has been blocked for four weeks.
With vendors forced to rely more heavily on domestic aquatic products, Shanghai-based online retailer Ding Dong Mai Cai this year announced it will be introducing Ding Dong Seafood G.A.P. standards to certify seafood sold on its platform tested on water quality, feed input, and antibiotic residues.
Government policy in recent years has stressed focus on quality rather than quantity of seafood supply. A planning conference for the 14th Five-Year plan held by the Agriculture Ministry included numerous seafood industry executives, including the head of shrimp firm Guolian, and stressed a series of priorities: low-carbon fisheries, standardization, innovation, and efficiency.
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