``The study being done by the ICAR is aimed at finding out whether the incidental catch level in the country is above that of the permissible level,'' Marine Products Exports and Development Authority (MPEDA) chairman Jose Cyriac said. The United States had imposed restrictions on Indian shrimp imports for not using TEDs to preserve rare turtles in the Indian Ocean.

India had opposed the ban on shrimp exports to the US and dragged Washington to the dispute settlement body of World Trade Organisation (WTO). Following India's complaint the dispute settlement body set up a dispute settlement panel (DSP), which ruled the ban by the US as discriminatory. Jose said the US laws permitted incidental catches to a certain level, but ifthe Indian catches were above that of the permitted levels, India would have to restrain and enforce use of TEDs.

``If the level of incidental catches of turtles while harvesting is below that of the United States then the restrictions would also have to go,'' he said. Though the DSP of the World Trade Organisation had termed the ban by Washington as discriminatory, the appellate body upheld the US legislation on ecological grounds. After the apellate body ruling, America had got 13 months time up to December this year to revoke the restriction.

Jose said the WTO ruling would ensure that the US put in place a transparent system of granting export certificates and stopped discriminating between `friends and foes of the US.' The Indian exports of shrimp to the US would not be affected as processed shrimp consignments along with DSP-121 certificates countersigned by MPEDA officials were taking place smoothly, he said.

The MPEDA certifications are meant to indicate that shrimps being exported have beeneither harvested by non-mechanised means or have been sourced from aquaculture farms.