As ironic as it may sound, but Japan's earthquake and tsunami tragedy has spelt a boom in business for India's seafood export industry.
There is a remarkable growth in the demand for Indian seafood in Japan such as black tiger shrimps (BTSs), primarily, for the fears that radioactive particles could have contaminated local food supplies.
"There is a steady rise in demand for BTS, which is one of India's seafood export items as Japanese are facing the aftermath of tsunami and earthquake followed by a nuclear reactor issue this year, an official, from Marine Products Export Development Association (MPEDA), informed FnB News over telephone.
However, the official could not provide the exact figures for the BTS demand and its long- term impact for the Indian seafood industry "as it is too early to predict the implications."
BTS, which is believed to be mainly harvested in the eastcoast aquaculture farms in India, are not in pace and tempo reportedly based on the consignments on account of antibiotic residues.
According to earlier provisional figures of MPEDA, seafood exports to Japan registered a 36 per cent growth and 11 per cent in quantity, while it has accounted to 14 per cent of the country's $2.67 billion seafood export for 2010-11.
The official also hoped that the demand for BTS would continue for sometime until the country gained a complete recovery from the disaster.