Surge in shrimp export yet to breathe life into sector

Despite recent data indicating a rise in the value of shrimp exports, industry insiders say the sector has yet to experience a meaningful revival, as shipment volumes have not shown significant growth.

In July this year, the shipment of shrimps, the main export item under the frozen and live fish category, surged 47 percent year-on-year to $31 million, according to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

The uptick in the shipment of shrimp, farmed mainly in the southwest coastal division of Khulna, came after exporters saw a recovery after two years of downturns.

The uptick follows a modest recovery in fiscal year (FY) 2024-25 , when shrimp exports increased by 19 percent to $296 million after two consecutive years of decline. The majority of these exports come from shrimp farms located in the country's southwest coastal division, particularly in Khulna.

However, industry insiders said the increase was likely due to higher prices and a stronger US dollar rather than a real increase in production or export volume.

"I'm surprised by the data," said Shyamal Das, managing director of MU Sea Foods, a shrimp export company based in the Khulna-Jashore belt.

"Yes, the value has increased slightly because of better prices and exchange rates. But if you look at the past when we used to export over $550 million worth of shrimp, this is nowhere near that scale," he added.

According to him, a jump to $296 million from $248 million is not significant growth. "It's a minor recovery, not a trend."

"This modest increase may be temporary, driven by lower supply or demand in some countries," Das noted.

"Even if we exported $50 million more this year, in the context of a $70 billion global shrimp market, that's not a meaningful leap," he said. The core problems in the sector remain unchanged, he said.

Das said the survival rate of shrimp fry was alarmingly low. When a farmer releases 100 into the water, only 10 to 12 survive, said Das.

"That kind of loss is impossible for small-scale farmers to recover from," he said.

He said one of the key solutions lies in the quality control of shrimp fry.

"Farmers need access to certified hatcheries and third-party verification centres, but they lack both the mindset and financial ability for such testing. This is where the Department of Fisheries must step in," he said.

"They regularly inspect our factories and test samples before export. They should do the same for hatcheries," said Das.

"If those are producing low-quality, non-specific pathogen free (non-SPF) fry and don't comply (with regulations), they should be shut down—just like India has done," he said.

Tariqul Islam Zahir, owner of Achiya Sea Foods and senior vice president of Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association, said there has been no noticeable improvement as export recovery was not enough to bring about dynamism in the sector.

"The same struggles remain. If exports had truly gone up, we would have seen an increase in factory activity or employment. But that hasn't happened," he said.

"Our factories are operating at the same level as before—there's been no expansion, no surge in production," he said.

In districts like Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira, and Cox's Bazar, around 3 million people are directly involved in the shrimp industry, including hatcheries, farming, and processing.

Another 2 million are indirectly dependent on this sector for their livelihood.

Zahir emphasised that while the numbers may suggest a positive trend, the reality on the ground paints a different picture.

"Without addressing the fundamental issues like quality of shrimp fry, disease control, and hatchery regulation, we cannot expect sustainable growth in the sector," he said.