Colombia cuts Ecuadorian shrimp imports due to white spot virus scare

Colombia has suspended imports of shrimp, other raw crustaceans, and related byproducts from Ecuador after the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) claimed it detected white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) on frozen raw shrimp from Ecuador.

According to ICA, the move seeks to protect domestic producers and prevent the introduction of WSSV to the country’s Caribbean zone, which is currently free of the disease. That zone comprises the regions, or departments, of Atlántico, Bolívar, Sucre, and Córdoba; of those, Bolívar is responsible for 87 percent of Colombian shrimp production. Outside of the Caribbean zone, the department of Nariño in the country’s southwest is responsible for another 11 percent.

ICA said "recurring findings” of WSSV on Ecuadorian shrimp made it necessary to strengthen controls. The suspension will be maintained until there is scientific evidence demonstrating the health risk of Ecuadorian shrimp has been properly brought under control, it said.

Ecuador’s National Aquaculture Chamber (CNA) told SeafoodSource it is still waiting for the official response from the Ministry of Production of Ecuador to comment on the matter and declined to comment on whether WSSV was affecting production in the country. According to CNA, no other country has taken actions similar to Colombia.

According to the latest official statistics from CNA, from January through May 2024, Ecuador exported 2.5 million pounds of shrimp to Colombia, bringing in revenue of USD 5.7 million (EUR 5.2 million). In volume terms, this represented just 0.22 percent of all the shrimp Ecuador exported during the first five months of the year.

While the suspension carries on, Colombian officials have established communication with Ecuador’s Vice Ministry of Aquaculture and Fisheries to pursue solutions, according to ICA General Manager Juan Fernando Roa. 

“We will continue to evaluate and take the necessary measures to guarantee biosafety and the health status achieved, which allows us not only to export and compete in international markets but also to supply internal consumption with quality products,” he said.

Ecuadorian shrimp shipments that already have an ICA-issued phytosanitary import certificate dating from 8 April and which test negative for WSSV in ICA-performed diagnostic tests may enter the country through ports not located in the Caribbean zone.

In March 2023, Saudi Arabia placed a similar temporary ban on shrimp shipments from India after making the same discovery.