India Prohibits Use of Key Antimicrobials in Aquaculture to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance

In May 2025, the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued a landmark decision to prohibit the use of several medically important antimicrobials in India’s aquaculture sector. This move comes in response to growing concerns about antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is fueled by the misuse of antibiotics in food production, including aquaculture. This prohibition, which includes a wide range of antibiotics, antivirals, and antiprotozoals, aims to protect both public health and India’s booming seafood export industry.

Why in News?

This issue is significant due to the increasing global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is directly linked to the overuse of antibiotics in aquaculture. India, being one of the largest producers and exporters of seafood, has a responsibility to ensure that its products meet international safety standards.

Aim and Objectives

• Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): The key aim is to reduce the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in aquaculture, which has been linked to the rise in AMR. AMR is a serious public health threat, as it makes treating infections with standard antibiotics less effective.
• Ensuring Food Safety: By prohibiting certain antibiotics in aquaculture, the government ensures that food products like shrimp, prawns, and fish are free from harmful antibiotic residues.
• Facilitating Seafood Exports: India is a major exporter of seafood, and this ban helps align the country’s aquaculture practices with international safety standards, particularly those of major importers like the United States and China.

Prohibited Antibiotics and Antimicrobials

• The ban includes several antibiotics, antivirals, and antiprotozoals that are considered medically important for humans, as per the World Health Organization’s List of Medically Important Antimicrobials.
• Specific banned antibiotics include classes like fluoroquinolones, glycopeptides, and nitrofurans.
• The order also prohibits their use in hatcheries, feed manufacturing units, and processing units catering to shrimp, prawns, fish, and fishery products.

Background and Impact

• Antimicrobial Use in Aquaculture: Globally, the use of antimicrobials in aquaculture is on the rise, with 10,259 tonnes used in 2017 and a predicted increase to 13,600 tonnes annually by 2030. The Asia-Pacific region is the largest consumer.
• India’s Aquaculture Industry: India ranks as the third-largest producer of fish and the second-largest in aquaculture production. It exported seafood worth $7.38 billion in 2023-24, with frozen shrimp being the leading export product.
• Past Amendments: This new amendment builds on earlier efforts, including a 2002 restriction on certain antibiotics and a 2024 ban by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on additional antibiotics in all animal-derived foods.

Key Points

• India’s Aquaculture Industry
• The third-largest global fish producer
• Exported 1.78 million tonnes of seafood in 2023-24, worth $7.38 billion

Banned Antibiotics and Classes

• 12 Antibiotic Classes
• 6 Specific Antibiotics
• Includes fluoroquinolones, nitrofurans, glycopeptides

Global Context

• Overuse of antibiotics in aquaculture contributes to AMR
• Asia-Pacific region accounts for the largest share of global antimicrobial use in aquaculture

Government Initiatives

• Prohibition aligns with WHO guidelines on medically important antimicrobials
• Prior actions by FSSAI, Ministry of Health, and Coastal Aquaculture Authority to regulate antibiotic use