1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

In the year 2000, global aquaculture production exceeded 35 million metric tonnes with a value of over 52 thousand million US dollars. Although crustaceans represented only 4.8 percent of total production by weight, they comprised almost 21 percent of the value of global aquaculture in 2000. The giant tiger prawn is ranked first by value at over four thousand million US dollars and more recent estimates indicate that white shrimp produced in Asia are making an increasing contribution to the overall production of Asian farmed shrimp.

The USA has been the major market for farmed shrimp over the past few years and the market condition in the USA is now the predominant factor affecting international market prices. Shrimp is the number one seafood consumed in the USA and imports have reached 430 000 tonnes per year, worth 3.4 thousand million US dollars and are still increasing

The Japanese market is also important with 80 percent of its imports in 2002 coming from Asian countries (particularly Indonesia, Viet Nam and India), compared to just 20 percent from Latin America.

The European market is more difficult to penetrate than the United States or Japanese markets due to pressure from consumers as well as increasingly stringent European Union regulations about a range of issues that include sustainability criteria, traceability, contaminants and residues. The issues concerning antibiotics that have led to recent bans on importation and blacklisting of farmed shrimp from many Asian countries has caused considerable economic losses in many Asian countries.

Part of the problem is due to the disparities in quality control and inspection standards among ASEAN countries. If it were possible to harmonize these, it would result in substantial savings while contributing to the stimulation of intra regional trade. Common standards could also enhance the reputation of the region as an exporter of safe products of consistent quality and composition.

These considerations have been acknowledged by ASEAN in incorporating a move towards harmonization and equivalence in the ASEAN Strategic Plan 1999-2004. As the world moves towards a system of food regulation based on an assessment of risk, there will be a need to evaluate existing standards and regulations on a country by country basis. In the year 2000, FAO, in collaboration with the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, considered that it would be timely to examine opportunities for action on a region-wide scale. A consultation was convened^[1] in Manila, Philippines on 23 to 24 November 2000, immediately following the 7th ASEAN Food Conference and was attended by 23 representatives from the 10 ASEAN countries.

This consultation recognized that differing priority levels within the ASEAN countries makes regional negotiations and consensus difficult especially when linked to the differing value and rate of growth of the fisheries sector. With respect to export products, the ASEAN states are frequently in a competitive position with one another, both for foreign and intra-ASEAN markets, further constraining cooperation and coordination.

The conclusion of the Manila 'Workshop on Harmonization of Regulations and Standards for Fishery Products in the ASEAN Region' identified the need for:

- open and transparent discussions to promote confidence building between the various inspection systems;

- the development of food control capacity through training and exchange of information;

- working towards equivalence between the different control systems with the goal of concluding mutual recognition agreements between all ASEAN members;

- the preparation of a hazards and control guide specific for ASEAN products coupled with encouragement of increased CODEX participation; and

- the formulation of regional risk assessments for products of particular importance to the region.

Since this consultation, there has been increasing awareness of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its implications for regional and global trade. There is recognition of the need for concerted action and a concerted voice in decision making on issues related to quality and safety standards and this has been most recently highlighted by the focus on antibiotic residues in farmed shrimp.

To address these critical emerging issues and in recognition of the need to raise the profile of these issues at a policy level, the ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Fisheries meeting in Lao PDR in May 2003 established an ASEAN Task Force to work towards recognition of regulatory inspection and control system of antibiotic residues in cultured shrimps. Thailand was assigned as the lead country.

As the lead country, Thailand, through the Department of Fisheries, requested FAO for technical and financial assistance in organizing the first strategic planning workshop of the Task Force which was held at the ChaoPhya Park Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand, from 4 to 6 November 2003.