Qatar lifts ban on import frozen seafood from India

Doha: Officials announced on Friday that Qatar had lifted its temporary ban on the import of frozen seafood from India, paving the way for increased exports to the Gulf nation. The ban was imposed in November of last year, just before the FIFA World Cup, in response to the alleged discovery of Vibrio cholera in a few Indian consignments.

In the lead-up to the football event, the Qatari authorities had informed India that the ban was temporary and caused by a lack of adequate testing laboratories in their



nation.

Since then, continuous efforts to resolve the problem had been made by the Indian Embassy in Qatar and the Union Department of Commerce.

After a number of rounds of discussion with Qatar's Ministry of Public Health, the ban was lifted on February 16.

The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) Chairman D.V. Swamy stated, "Considering a similar lift in the suspension by China, this week is proving to be very good for the seafood exporters in India."