Antibiotics proved costly for aqua sector

Bhimavaram: Excessive use of antibiotics in aqua ponds has adverse impact on aqua culture, informed Central fisheries department joint secretary Ramesh Kumar.

Addressing an awareness seminar on use of antibiotics in aqua culture, he said that aqua exports were being rejected because of the indiscriminate use of antibiotics. 

As a result of rejection, the aqua farmers had been incurring huge losses, he said. 
   
Aqua farmers, exporters, lab technicians and traders attended the seminar.

Ramesh said that lack of knowledge on antibiotics had posed as biggest threat for the aqua field. The government was getting huge revenue from the aqua sector. 

However, ignorance on antibiotics had resulted in crisis. The exported containers of aqua products were rejected because of the antibiotics. 

It was in the best interests of the farmers not to use antibiotics to avoid losses to them, he warned.

AP Fisheries Commissioner Ramasankar Naik said that it was high time, everybody try to give boost to aqua sector which provides major revenue to the State after bifurcation.