Indonesian Gov't Urged to Rebuild Trust After Radioactive Shrimp Detection in U.S.

Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives Commission IV, Rokhmin Dahuri, criticized the government for being slow to respond to the discovery of radioactive contamination in frozen shrimp products exported from Indonesia to the United States.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed that the products contained traces of Cesium-137 (Cs-137).

Rokhmin urged the government to take swift and strategic action to restore international market confidence.

“The government should hire professional public relations experts to help rebuild the image of Indonesian shrimp,” he said during a virtual discussion with the All-Indonesian Fishermen Association on Wednesday, October 29, 2025.

He warned that many shrimp producers could face bankruptcy if exports remain suspended. Shrimp is one of Indonesia’s top ten fishery commodities, with an annual production of around 286,000 tons.

“Everything could collapse if this continues,” he said.

Rokhmin added that Indonesia risks losing credibility in the global shrimp market, especially with the United States, the country’s main export destination. The situation could reduce shrimp exports by up to 35 percent, affecting downstream industries.

“The downstream sector faces serious economic risks from declining or canceled orders,” he said.

An investigation by the Cesium-137 Hazard Vulnerability Task Force found that the contamination, detected last August, was limited to the Modern Industrial Area in Cikande, Banten, Indonesia. The findings were presented on September 30, 2025.

The FDA initially detected the radioactive element in frozen shrimp from Indonesia at several U.S. ports and retail outlets, including Walmart.

Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) said the contamination may have originated from a container previously used to transport iron scrap from the Philippines to Tanjung Priok Port.

The container, possibly tainted with Cs-137, was later reused for shrimp shipments. He added that the government is coordinating with Indonesian Customs to investigate the incident.

Zulhas emphasized that the government is taking all necessary measures to protect Indonesia’s shrimp industry and restore global confidence in the country’s fisheries exports.

Source: Tempo