Shrimp and fish exporter in Bangladesh

Buying shrimp and fish in Bangladesh

Bangladesh farms black tiger shrimp (bagda) in brackish water and giant freshwater prawn (golda) in ponds, mainly in the south-west around Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat, and processes them in plants in Khulna and Chattogram (Chittagong). The same plants freeze whole fish such as rohu and pangas, while live mud crab and mud eel fly from Dhaka. A shrimp and fish exporter in Bangladesh is judged on its approvals for your market, residue control and cold chain.

Roptan sources for you. Send your specification; we match it to verified plants that hold the approvals your market needs, check the lab reports on your lot, weigh deglazed samples, and see the reefer loaded at -18 °C or colder. You deal with Roptan only, and the quote lists the tests and documents included.

Shrimp and fish we source

How to brief a shrimp and fish exporter in Bangladesh

Species and form

Common and scientific name, farmed or wild-caught, then the form: HOSO, HLSO, PUD, PD, PDTO, whole round or gutted.

Count and unit

Pieces per pound or per kilogram, such as 16/20, and the spread you accept. Name the unit: 16/20 per kilogram is a much larger shrimp.

Glaze and net weight

Glaze as a percentage of gross weight, and net weight declared without glaze. We weigh deglazed samples from several cartons at loading.

Freezing and pack

Block frozen or IQF, block or bag weight, inner packs per master carton, label language, and carton strength for a long voyage.

Additives

Say whether you accept sulphite, used against black spot, or phosphate soaking, which holds water. A soaked quote cannot be compared with a chemical-free one.

Residues and microbiology

Nitrofuran metabolites, chloramphenicol, malachite green and heavy metals, plus Salmonella, Vibrio and E. coli, and Listeria monocytogenes for cooked shrimp, with your market's limits.

Temperature and quantity

Core temperature of -18 °C or colder at loading, the reefer set point and a data logger, and the mix of sizes per reefer.

Approvals, certificates and documents for seafood

HACCP, ISO 22000 or BRCGS

The plant's food safety system. Ask for the current certificate with the plant's own name and a scope that covers your product.

FIQC health certificate

Issued for each export consignment by the Department of Fisheries' Fish Inspection and Quality Control, after inspection and lab results.

Approved establishment lists

For the EU and some other markets the plant must appear on the list of approved establishments for fishery products. Check its number on the list itself.

BAP and ASC

Farmed shrimp certifications many retailers ask for. BAP covers plants, farms, hatcheries and feed mills; ASC certifies farms, and the plant needs chain of custody.

Catch certificate

Wild-caught sea fish for the EU needs one under the EU rules against illegal fishing. Farmed shrimp and freshwater fish do not.

Codex CXS 92-1981

The Codex standard for quick frozen shrimps or prawns: a neutral reference for defects, glaze and net content in a contract.

What moves the price of shrimp and fish

• Species and count: large shrimp grades cost far more per kilogram than small counts.
• Form and yield: peeled and deveined shrimp needs more raw shrimp per kilogram than head-on.
• Glaze and soaking: a low price per kilogram can hide ice or water, so compare on net weight.
• Season: farm harvests rise and fall through the year, and supply tightens between crops.
• Certification, testing and freight: BAP or ASC product, per-lot residue tests, reefer rates and air freight for live crab and eel.

Lead times and delivery

Frozen shrimp and fish from stock can often ship two to four weeks from order; production to your specification with printed cartons usually takes four to eight weeks, longer outside the main harvest. Lab turnaround, reefer space and artwork approval add time. Live crab and eel can move within days once airline space is booked. Roptan confirms the dates in the quote.

Inside Bangladesh we deliver frozen shrimp and fish by refrigerated van to hotels, restaurants, supermarkets and processors in Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet and elsewhere, held at -18 °C or colder with a temperature record. You receive the packing list, test reports where ordered and a VAT invoice (Mushak 6.3). Any shortage or thawed carton is recorded on arrival and taken up with the seller.

Buying shrimp and fish for export

For importers we quote FOB Chattogram in a reefer container set at -18 °C or colder, or CFR or CIF on request; live crab and eel fly from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka. Documents: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill, FIQC health certificate, certificate of origin or a REX origin statement for EU GSP, lab reports for the lot and any catch certificate. Payment is usually by letter of credit, or a deposit with the balance against documents.

What we check for this order

• Plant certification and approvalsHACCP or ISO 22000 current for the plant, and its approval number on your market's list where one is required.
• Export registrationThe seller's ERC current and in the name on the quote, so the invoice, health certificate and payment documents match.
• Lab reports per lotAntibiotic residues, microbiology and sulphite tested by an accredited lab on your lot, with lot numbers that match the cartons.
• A visit, then a check at loadingProcessing, freezing, cold storage and packing seen in person before the first order; net weight, glaze, count and core temperature checked at loading.