BSS, Dhaka :
Bangladesh and Russia agreed to resolve their differences regarding export of shrimps from Bangladesh to Russia.
This was decided at a meeting between the Russian Ambassador Alexander A Nikolaev and Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Sayedul Haque at the latter’s office at the Bangladesh Secretariat here today.
Others who were present on the occasion included the Bangladesh Ambassador to Russia Dr. S M Saiful Haque and the director general of the Directorate of Fisheries Syed Arif Azad.
Earlier in 2009, Russia had restricted exports of Bangladesh shrimps to its country and allowed only four particular organizations from Bangladesh to export shrimps and other frozen food to Russia.
As the standards for food imports were gradually raised in Russia, restrictions increased and by November 2013 a total ban on all shrimp imports from Bangladesh was imposed. However, on February 6 this year the ban was lifted for the one particular company, Sea Food Industries Ltd. of Bagerhat.
The bone of contention is that Russia allows imports of shrimp with only one lakh Colony Forming Units (CFUs) per 20 grams of fish, while most countries of the world, including the European Union (EU) and the United States of America (USA), where Bangladesh exports regularly, allow one million colony forming units (CFUs) for the same amount of fish.
Bangladesh being a tropical country finds it difficult to comply with the Russian standard, as formation of bacteria is quick here.
