Tuesday May 29th, 2007
The use of melamine contaminated feed on some US fish farms addresses the challenges facing the booming aquaculture sector.  This issue among others will be discussed during a three day aquaculture conference held in Qingdao, China organized by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) and The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture.

The melamine scare and the more recent  incidence of blacklisted antibiotics in some imported catfish illustrate the importance of ensuring product safety in fish farming-the most rapidly growing food production sector for over a decade now-according to Lahsen Ababouch, a fish product safety expert with FAO.

Safety and quality over the entire length of the fish supply chain is one of the main issues to be discussed this week at a three-day aquaculture trade conference in Qindao.  It will include sessions on managing fish health at the farm level, the increasingly complex international regulatory frameworks governing aquaculture imports, and how to establish fair traceability and labelling systems to let retailers and consumers know a fish product's provenance.

A number of other issues will be discussed as well, such as the globalization of the world fish supply chain, market trends contributing to aquaculture's ongoing boom, environmental and sustainability issues, and growing competition between aquaculture, poultry farming and livestock for fish oil used in feed.

44% of all fish eaten comes from farms  -- The amount of fish supplied by farming has skyrocketed in recent years, says Rohana Subasinghe, an aquaculture specialist with FAO.  Source:

Recent News:
U.S. importers share the blame for the recent tainted food scandals, Chinese officials say, because they seek the cheapest products regardless of quality.  That, at least, is the Chinese government and industry response to growing concerns that Chinese products fail to meet basic safety standards.

The list of tainted products showing up overseas grew this week, when Chinese frozen fish products, labeled as monk fish, was found to contain puffer fish. Puffer fish have a natural deadly poison that makes them ill suited for eating, and the sickening of two people in Chicago led to the latest recall. 
sources: 
www.allaboutfeed.net/news/id102-10904/aquaculture_boom_comes_with_challenges.html
www.thedailygreen.com/2007/05/25/china-chides-us-over-food-imports/1863/