From Our Correspondent
Sydney/Amaravati: In a major boost for India’s seafood exports, Australia has cleared the first import approval for Indian prawns, ending years of restrictions due to white spot virus concerns. The decision opens a lucrative new market for India’s aquaculture sector — particularly for Andhra Pradesh, which accounts for over 60% of the country’s seafood exports.
Andhra Pradesh Minister for IT and HRD Nara Lokesh, reacting to the development, said on X that the move resolves a “long-standing hurdle for Indian seafood exporters” and praised the Indian and Australian governments for their “extensive work” in facilitating it.
“We should continue to open new markets to de-risk ourselves from too much dependence on one market,” he said.
The announcement came as Lokesh held discussions in Sydney with Seafood Industry Australia (SIA) representatives, including CEO Veronica Papacosta and Engagement Manager Jasmine Kelley, at Parramatta.
Papacosta said the SIA, established in 2017, represents over 30,000 businesses across Australia’s wild catch, aquaculture, and seafood processing sectors, contributing AUD 3.5 billion annually to the national economy. She added that the organization works closely with the government and research institutions to improve biosecurity and export performance.
During the meeting, Minister Lokesh highlighted Andhra Pradesh’s leadership in seafood exports and sought greater collaboration between exporters from the state and international buyers.
“Andhra Pradesh leads India in seafood exports, contributing over 60% of the nation’s aquaculture shipments. In 2024–25 alone, seafood worth USD 7.4 billion (₹66,000 crore) — about 16.98 million tonnes — was exported from the country,” he said.
Lokesh urged the SIA to facilitate trade missions and networking programs to connect Andhra exporters with buyers in Australia and other global markets. He called for partnerships between Andhra’s aquaculture industry and Australian importers to expand India’s seafood footprint worldwide.
He also proposed the introduction of advanced technologies in processing, cold chain management, and packaging to enhance quality and shelf life of aquaculture products.
“We must share expertise to promote sustainable aquaculture and fisheries management in Andhra Pradesh — increasing productivity while reducing environmental impact,” Lokesh said.
The minister suggested joint initiatives to promote Andhra seafood cuisine and culinary tourism, while also collaborating on climate resilience projects to help the state’s seafood industry adapt to rising sea levels and extreme weather conditions.
Industry experts say the combination of Australia’s regulatory clearance and these new partnerships could significantly boost Andhra Pradesh’s position as a global seafood powerhouse.