Indian shrimp exporters may soon rejoice as the pathway to resume the sale of USD 541 million worth of wild-caught shrimp to the US seems promising. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT) has unveiled a new turtle excluder device (TED), tailored to meet the stringent specifications of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), thus potentially unlocking a lucrative market for Indian shrimp trawlers.

Overcoming Certification Hurdles

Since 2019, the US Department of State has withheld certification for India’s wild-caught shrimp exports due to non-compliance with TED specifications. However, a significant breakthrough has been achieved with ICAR-CIFT’s redesign of the TED, funded by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA). Dodda Venkata Swamy, chairman of MPEDA, acknowledges the successful modifications and anticipates a visit from US NOAA officials to validate the TED design, marking a crucial step towards restoring shrimp exports to the USA.

In a bid to ensure seamless adoption of the modified TED, US officials conducted capacity-building training sessions in India, empowering stakeholders with the knowledge required for TED fabrication and field demonstration. Swamy underscores the importance of widespread implementation across all maritime states of India before September 2025, emphasizing collaborative efforts between state fisheries departments and the central Department of Fisheries to safeguard Indian fishers’ livelihoods and revive shrimp exports to the USA.

Preparing for US Marine Mammal Protection Act Compliance

As the US NOAA gears up to enforce the Marine Mammal Protection Act from January 1, 2026, India is proactively aligning its fishery industry with the regulatory framework to preempt any disruptions in marine product exports to the US. Swamy sheds light on India’s efforts to address concerns raised by the US National Marine Fisheries Service regarding the risk of marine mammal by-catch, including funding research initiatives and submitting necessary applications for compliance assessment.

India’s seafood exports reached unprecedented heights during the financial year 2022-23, with the US and China emerging as key importers. With frozen shrimp remaining a cornerstone of Indian seafood exports, the anticipated resumption of sales to the US holds immense promise for the industry’s growth trajectory, provided regulatory compliance measures are diligently implemented.