Amaravati, Oct 21 : Andhra Pradesh Education, IT and Electronics Minister Nara Lokesh has welcomed the decision of the Australian government to allow the import of Indian prawns.

Lokesh, who is currently on a visit to Australia to promote CII Partnership Summit scheduled to be held in Visakhapatnam next month, revealed through a post on 'X' that Australia has approved the import of Indian prawns.

"A long-standing hurdle for Indian seafood exporters has been Australia's restrictions on unpeeled prawns due to white spot virus detection. Today, the first import approval for Indian prawns has been granted. Our deepest gratitude to the extensive work done by the Indian and Australian Governments to facilitate this," he said.

"We should continue to open new markets to de-risk ourselves from too much dependence on one market," he added, apparently referring to the US market.

The tariffs imposed by the United States have hit the aqua sector in Andhra Pradesh hard.

Lokesh, in another post, said that he had deliberations over the past couple of days about deepening the partnership with Australia on the seafood trade. "Today, I met Seafood Industry Australia (SIA) CEO Veronica Papacosta and Engagement Manager Jasmin Kelleher to discuss partnerships in sustainable aquaculture and trade networking. Andhra Pradesh accounts for 60 per cent+ of India's seafood exports, valued at $7.4 billion (Rs 66,000 crore) in 2024'25," he wrote.

"I was impressed that they've created a brand 'Great Australian Seafood' to promote Aussie seafood and make it a premium offering. They have also moved up the value chain. We have a lot to learn, and we will stay in touch and offer the requisite support to AP's seafood industry," added Lokesh

Last month, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu appealed to the Centre to support aqua farmers in Andhra Pradesh.

He had mentioned that Andhra Pradesh accounts for 80 per cent of the country's shrimp exports and 34 per cent of marine exports, with exports valued at around Rs 21,246 crore annually. About 2.5 lakh aqua farmer families and 30 lakh people dependent on allied sectors are in difficulty.

The Chief Minister stated that US tariffs have had the greatest impact on shrimp exports. Losses are estimated at Rs 25,000 crore, with about 50 per cent of export orders cancelled.

CM Naidu, whose Telugu Desam Party is a key partner in the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, wrote separate letters to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and Fisheries Minister Rajeev Ranjan Singh.

He requested the Finance Minister to look into issues such as GST and financial relief, the Commerce and Industry Minister to pursue agreements with other countries in the aqua sector, and the Fisheries Minister to focus on expanding the domestic market.

He urged the Centre to focus on diversifying export markets beyond the US. He suggested entering into Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the European Union, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Russia to boost exports.

The CM also sought interim financial support for exporters, clarity on tariff/tax relief schemes, and noted that exporters were ready to supply seafood to the EU.

/IANS