Bangladesh shrimp exports set for rebound with first on-board frozen shipment to Europe

Infographics: TBS

After years of decline, Bangladesh's frozen shrimp industry has now found a reason for optimism. For the first time, the country has exported on-board block frozen Ocean Tiger shrimp to Europe – a development that exporters and officials say could mark the beginning of a long-awaited rebound for the sector.

On 18 October 2025, a consignment of 8.5 tonnes of block frozen Ocean Tiger shrimp, valued at $167,000, was shipped to Belgium by Rancon Sea Fishing Ltd, one of Bangladesh's leading industrial fishing companies. The shrimp were caught and processed aboard the company's deep-sea vessel FV Joutha Uddam.

"This shipment isn't just a business transaction; it's a breakthrough," said Tanvir Shahriar Rimon, chief executive officer of Rancon Sea Fishing Division. "As we have shipped our first container, we believe we can explore this new market with precision, quality, and contribute more to the nation's export earnings."

What makes on-board block freezing different

Unlike conventional frozen shrimp, which are processed in land-based factories after being unloaded from vessels, on-board block frozen shrimp are processed and frozen immediately after being caught at sea.

"After the shrimps are brought in for sorting, grading or beheading, and washing, lux meters are first used to ensure optimal illumination, making the sorting and grading process more vigilant and precise.

"Each batch is then checked at sea using hand-held metal detectors to remove any contaminants. After that, the shrimp are processed into blocks of different sizes – 800 grams, 1.5 kilograms, and 2 kilograms – and stored at minus 18 degrees Celsius in the vessel's cold storage. Once brought ashore, the blocks are again kept at minus 18 degrees Celsius in shore-based cold storage," Rimon explained.

He added that health certificates are obtained from the Fish Inspection and Quality Control (FIQC) office before shipment, and each batch undergoes final scanning to confirm it is free of contaminants.

"Our vessels are ISO- and HACCP-certified, and we strictly follow European Union quality guidelines," Rimon said. "Our crews are regularly trained in handling, hygiene, and onboard processing to maintain these standards."

Road to EU certification

For decades, Bangladesh exported block frozen shrimp mainly to Japan, but not to Europe. While the country has long been exporting land-processed shrimp to the European market, on-board block frozen shrimp, processed and frozen directly on fishing vessels, had not been approved for export to the EU until certification was granted earlier this year.

This changed after coordinated efforts by the FIQC, Marine Fisheries Department (MFD), and Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

In December 2023, an inspection mission from the EU Food Safety Authority visited selected vessels to assess compliance with European hygiene and processing regulations. Following months of evaluation, the EU certified five vessels in February 2025, allowing them to export on-board block frozen seafood to Europe.

The approved vessels include FV Sea Star and FV Joutha Uddam of Rancon Sea Fishing Division, FV SRL-3 of Sea Resource Group, and Deep Sea-1 and Deep Sea-3 of Deep Sea Fishing Ltd.

"The EU has officially listed these vessels on its website," said FIQC Deputy Director Farhana Lovely, adding that certification for more vessels is underway. "Two from SRL Fishing and one from Rancon are under review. We expect their approval soon," she said.

Glimmer of hope

Bangladesh once ranked among the world's leading shrimp exporters, earning over $450 million in FY2016-17. But disease outbreaks, non-compliance with global standards, and competition from farmed vannamei shrimp caused exports to fall sharply – to $248 million in FY2023-24, the lowest in a decade.

The following year, shipments recovered slightly to $296 million, driven by diversification efforts.

"The European entry is a crucial step toward recovery," Farhana said. "Our dependency on Japan as the only block frozen market meant exporters had limited room to negotiate prices. Europe's demand for premium-grade products should improve margins."

Rising costs, shrinking catches

Despite modest export growth, industrial fishing remains under pressure from rising costs and declining marine resources.

"Fuel costs have gone up nearly 60% in five years," Rimon said. "At the same time, overfishing, pollution, and illegal trawling in shallow waters have reduced marine shrimp and fish catch by around 21% last year." 

"Some vessels barely recover their fuel costs from their catch," he added.

Enam Chowdhury, president of the Bangladesh Marine Fisheries Association, shared the concern and stressed the importance of the government's 8% export incentive, which he said is "vital for the industry's survival."

He noted that the subsidy is set to be reduced to 5% in January 2026 and fully withdrawn by the end of November 2026 as part of Bangladesh's LDC graduation. "We've urged the government to continue support in some alternative form even after the subsidy phase-out," he said.

Bangladesh in global shrimp trade

According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), global trade in frozen shrimp and prawns was worth $21.3 billion in 2023. Bangladesh's $300 million export volume gives it about 1.4% of the global market.

In the last fiscal year, the country's top shrimp export destinations were China with $56.7 million, Netherlands $47.4 million, United Kingdom $45 million, Belgium $40.1 million, Germany $29.6 million, United States $20.8 million, France $18.5 million, Japan $11.3 million, Portugal $8 million, and Spain with $6.5 million, as per data from the Fisheries department, citing EPB.

Bangladesh primarily exports individual quick frozen (IQF), semi-IQF, peeled un-deveined (PUD), peeled and deveined (P&D), and semi-cooked shrimp products to Europe, while block frozen shrimp exports had until now been limited to Japan and China.

"This is the first shipment of block frozen shrimp to Europe, and it's a big step forward," said Rimon. "This time, we exported the Ocean Tiger species, which accounts for only about 30% of our catch. The rest comprises brown, white, flower tiger, and red shrimp – mostly brown."

"If we can export brown block frozen shrimp to the EU market, that would be a major achievement. Diversifying those exports will be our next goal." he added.

Rimon said, "We are now in talks with potential buyers in other EU countries, aiming to expand Bangladesh's presence in the European market with on board frozen shrimp & fish."

"Our focus remains on maintaining the highest standards of quality, traceability, and sustainability as we grow," he added.