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A LITTLE fishy: A recent statewide ban on Vietnamese-imported seafood could hurt the Alabama catfish producers market, although they back the ban. The FDA discovered the fish contained antiobiotics.Fish ban could hurt market
By Bethany Kirby
Staff Writer
September 01, 2005
Alabama catfish producers could be losing a lot of their market competition because of a recent statewide ban on Vietnamese-imported seafood.
In early August, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discovered antibiotics in basa fish, similar to the American species of catfish.
The antibiotics are often added to fish food in other countries to prevent diseases in the fish.
These antibiotics can be used to treat tuberculosis, pneumonia and other infections. They are banned in U.S. agriculture for fear the germs could build up a resistance to the medicine, making the antibiotics increasingly less effective in fighting infections.
Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks banned the fish in Alabama shortly after a similar ban was issued in Louisiana.
“I’ve made up my mind on this one,” Sparks said. “I’ve been to Vietnam. I’ve seen how they raise these fish.
“I’m not just going to sit back and tolerate antibiotics that have been banned by the FDA,” he said. “We are going to continue to do all we can to keep Alabama consumers safe.”
Sparks also expressed concern that some consumers could have allergies to the types of antibiotics found in the fish.
Mitt Walker, director of the Catfish Division of the Alabama Farmer’s Federation, said this is not the first time something like this has happened.
“Some countries don’t produce their food under a set of standards,” Walker said. “There has always been some degree of concern about those imports.”
Butch Wilson, who serves as chairman of Alabama Catfish Producers, supports the recent ban.
“American farmers, including catfish producers, take pride in what we produce, and we know that it is the safest food in the world,” Wilson said.
In Louisiana, the ban resulted in nearly 350 tons of Vietnamese-produced seafood being taken off the market. Sparks said about 250,000 pounds of imported seafood have been held in Alabama.
The FDA is performing an open investigation to decide if the fish should be banned in all states.
Michael Herndon, a spokesman for the FDA, said there is no periodic testing done on the imports.
“If there is a reason to believe there is a problem, then they look to test (the fish),” Herndon said.
The FDA has issued an import alert, a type of recommendation that encourages states to handle the issue at the local level.
“The FDA works cooperatively with states who have the authority to embargo products,” said Sandra Baxter, who works with the public affairs division of the FDA.
The ban could have a positive effect on Alabama catfish producers by eliminating a lot of the cheaper, imported basa fish that compete with home-grown catfish on the market.
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