- Fisher Farms exported 20 full container loads of raw peeled and deveined Vannamei shrimps to Australia
- This is the first ever shipment of uncooked shrimps to Australia
- The cargo arrived at the Port of Melbourne on May 30
- The Philippines was included in the list of countries that meet Australia’s enhanced import conditions for shrimps classified under prawns and prawn products
- Two more shipments will arrive in June and July
The Philippines recently exported uncooked shrimps to Australia, its first ever such shipment.
Fisher Farms, Inc (FFI) exported 20 full container loads of raw peeled and deveined (RPD) Vannamei shrimps, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in a statement.
The shipment arrived at the Port of Melbourne on May 30, 2022.
Two more shipments are expected to arrive in Australia in June and July.
FFI is the largest supplier of farm-raised seafood in the Philippines, supplying a wide range of premium, fresh frozen, and value-added seafood products locally and overseas.
DTI said FFI worked with its agent and importer in Singapore and Australia after the Philippines was included in the list of countries able to meet Australia’s enhanced import conditions for shrimps classified under prawns and prawn products.
In 2019, the Philippine government, through the Philippine Embassy in Canberra and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center-Sydney (PTIC-Sydney), worked with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), in certifying that the country can meet Australia’s enhanced import conditions, paving the way for aquaculture companies in the Philippines to access the Australian market.
Prior to 2019, Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment suspended imports of uncooked prawns and prawn products for human consumption and enhanced import conditions to allow for safe trade in prawn and prawn products to meet Australia’s appropriate level of protection.
One of the key provisions in the enhanced biosecurity requirements is a certification that the products have been found free of white spot syndrome virus and yellow head virus based on sampling and testing methods recognized by the World Health Organization for Animal Health.
The competent authority in the exporting country must also certify that the products have been processed, inspected, and graded in premises approved by and under the control of the competent authority. In the Philippines BFAR is the competent authority.
FFI CEO Imelda Madarang said the development will further strengthen company efforts to access export markets such as Australia and other countries in the Pacific region.
“After pandemic-related delays, our first shipment of shrimp products to Australia has been finally cleared. We are optimistic that this will be the start of a strong cooperation to make our premium, fresh frozen and value-added seafood products become available in the Australian market,” Madarang said.
Meanwhile, DTI through its overseas office in Australia, PTIC-Sydney, said the Philippines is actively pursuing untapped export markets as well as exploring investment opportunities in the Philippines for Australian and New Zealand investors. Among these are commercial aquaculture production, establishment of nurseries and hatcheries, cold storage warehousing, aquafeed milling, and commercial fish processing.
