Transboundary movement of shrimp viruses in crustaceans and their products: A special risk?

Shrimp and shrimp products form the most valuable internationally traded fisheries commodity, and the volumes are huge, estimated to be about 3.6 million tonnes. However, despite the existence under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) and the activities of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), viral shrimp epizootics have spread and continue to spread, affecting world production. Though most attention has focussed on the movement of live shrimp product, the spread of new and emerging diseases through other crustaceans and their nonviable products is of increasing concern. The risks associated with the unrestricted movement of nonviable product will be outlined and measures that can be taken to mitigate the risk are discussed. Ultimately, for crustacean diseases, the paradigm under which the OIE has operated for the past 80 years needs to change.

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► Spread of diseases through trade in non-viable crustacean products is of concern.
► Frozen product is freely available through international trade.
► New diseases will be traded before the OIE process for listing diseases is initiated.
► Measures to reduce risk must centre on preventing diversion of product.