Country Reports

Belize

Aeration—From the Shrimp List

Luis Mejia (metalirasta@yahoo.com): Does anyone have information on how to determine the amount of aeration required for a certain amount of shrimp biomass?  I’m trying to determine how much horsepower is needed for the different stages in an intensive system.

Sean Mulvey (smulvey1@rochester.rr.com): Go to http://www.aquaticeco.com.  You’ll find some technical reports on aeration and horsepower requirements.

Durwood Dugger (duggerdm@bellsouth.net): There is a relatively simple, logical, straightforward way to determine the oxygen demand for any aquaculture system.  You calculate the amount of oxygen necessary to oxidize the most significant nutrient inputs to the system.  In most shrimp systems that would be primarily feed and fertilizer.  If you know the percent of protein and carbohydrates in your feed (on the label), you can (if you or your staff’s chemistry background is up to it) calculate the oxygen required to oxidize these nutrient inputs.

Theoretically the biomass can’t exceed the nutrient inputs, but the oxygen demand can and does surge up and down occasionally from significant quantities of unoxidized bottom sediments that get stirred into the system—especially in systems where mixing may not be optimum and in earthen ponds.

You will need to know the salinity and temperature of your pond to determine the relative oxygen saturation level in your water.  You will also need to know the oxygen transfer rating of the aeration device you intend to use (and whether the rating is accurate in your application).  While this aeration estimation concept is near perfect, its practical application can be somewhat variable.  I suggest that after you determine how much aeration you need that you add an additional 20-50%.  This range is dependent on your confidence in the system, management reliability and how much protection you need to cover failures of aeration devices at peak oxygen demand.  You also need some wiggle room for residual nutrient fluctuations and miscalculations in your aeration estimates.  For example, overfeeding and improper broadcasting of feed can produce uneven oxygen demand.

Waleed Hajeer (waleedhajeer@yahoo.com): Roughly, you need one horsepower of aeration for every 350 to 450 kilograms of shrimp.  Then check the oxygen levels and biomass in your ponds to make adjustments.  Generally, during the day, you only need half as much aeration as you need at night.

Source: The Shrimp List (a mailing list for shrimp farmers).  Subject: Aeration.  June 2-4, 2008.

Brazil

OIE Report on Shrimp Infectious Myonecrosis

On June 4, 2008, Dr. Jamil Gomes de Souza, Presidente de la Comisión Regional de la OIE, Departamento de Salud Animal, Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuaria e Abastecimento, reported an outbreak of infectious myonecrosis in shrimp to the Office International des Épizooties (OIE) in Paris, France.

The outbreak occurred at a Penaeus vannamei shrimp hatchery in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, in the city of Canguaretama.  Approximately, 84,000 thousand animals were infected, all of which were destroyed.

The original outbreak occurred in January 2008.  Animals were sent to the Federal University Laboratory of Santa Catarina (Brazil) for diagnosis.  The samples that tested positive were then sent to Dr. Donald Lighter’s laboratory at the University of Arizona for confirmation.  Based on nested RT-PCR analysis, Lighter’s lab confirmed the presence of infectious myonecrosis.

Source: OIE Mailing List (oie-info-web@oie.int).  Infectious Myonecrosis, Brazil.  June 5, 2008.

Guatemala

ARECA, “We Know Shrimp Feed”

ARECA, which has been producing animal feeds for farmers in Central America for over forty years, supplies some of the biggest shrimp farms in the region.

Information: Jorge Coronado (phone 502-2421-8610, cell 502-5865-525, email jcoronado@grupopaf.com.gt).

Source: The Global Aquaculture Advocate.  Editor, Darryl Jory (dejry2525@aol.com).  Advertisement: ARECA.  Volume 11, Issue 3, Page 41, May/June 2008.

India

Goa Shrimp Hatchery

Set up as a pilot project under a United Nations Development Program, the only shrimp hatchery in Goa (a small state on India’s central west coast) faces an uncertain future.  With production from shrimp farms in the state dropping for two years in a row and a report painting a not too rosy picture of the hatchery, the government may shut it down soon.  Goa has around 300 hectares of shrimp farms, but some of the farms are closed because of low shrimp prices and the whitespot virus.

Source: Herald.  Dark clouds over Benaulim prawn hatchery.  June 3, 2008.

Mexico

Shrimp Feed Prices Rising

Due to high grain prices in international markets, shrimp feed prices in the state of Sonora have increased between 5% and 6%.  Roberto Arosemena Villarreal, from the Sinaloa Aquaculture Institute, said that the increase in grain prices would have more impact in the months to come.

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service).  Grain prices to affect Mexican shrimp aquaculture (translated by Angel Rubio Canas).  Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com).  June 5, 2008.

The Netherlands

Collection of Crustacean Artifacts to Be Auctioned

Charles Fransen (fransen@naturalis.nnm.nl): Dear friends and colleagues, it is with great sadness that I have to inform you that Dr. Likpe B. Holthuis, emeritus Curator of the National Museum of Natural History in Leiden, The Netherlands, passed away on March 7, 2008.  He was 86.

Likpe was very disciplined and productive, bequeathing an immense collection of over 600 scientific publications that described hundreds of new taxa.  He received an award from the Crustacean Society for Excellence in Research and was an honorary member of various societies.  As the curator of Crustacea at the museum, he built the decapod collection into one of the best in the world.  He collected everything related to Crustacea.  One of his greatest passions was his carcinological library that holds many rare books and is almost complete with regards to the Decapoda.

He had a large collection of artifacts with motifs of crabs, shrimps and lobsters.  Part of this collection will be auctioned next week, on June 23, 2008.  The money raised by the auction will go into the “Holthuis Crustacea Fund”, which will be founded soon.  The fund will support research on Crustacea.

If you are interested in obtaining some of his artifacts, go to Amsterdam Auctioneers Gleerum.  The artifacts will be auctioned during Sale 347:The European Interior.  A catalogue of this sale is available at the website.  The “Holthuis” lots are: 94, 107, 177, 181, 182, 184, 189 and 203.  You can bid online.  For photographs of the objects, contact: Charles Fransen, Researcher/Curator Crustacea, Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum Naturalis, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands (phone 31-71-5687613, fax 31-71-5687666, email fransen@naturalis.nnm.nl, webpage http://science.naturalis.nl/fransen, courier address Naturalis, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands).

Sources: 1. The Crust-L mailing list.  Subject: [CRUST-L, 3381 and 3385] Prof. L.B. Holthuis.  From: Charles Fransen.  March 8 and 10, 2008.  2. The Crust-L mailing list (To subscribe, send an email to LISTPROC@VIMS.EDU.  In the body of the email, put SUBSCRIBE CRUST-L).  Subject: [CRUST-L, 3586] Holthuis collection.  From: Charles Fransen.  June 16, 2008.

Papua New Guinea

Successful Trial with Shrimp Farming Will Expand

In Papua New Guinea (an independent country on the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, across the Coral Sea from Queensland, Australia), WR Carpenter Limited recently diversified into aquaculture with a prototype, 10-pond shrimp farm.  The first harvests were very successful and full-scale commercial production is expected to commence soon.  The WR Carpenter Group has been in Papua New Guinea for 87 years and has extensive investments in agricultural operations across the country.  It’s the largest tea and coffee plantation operator in the highlands and has extensive coastal plantations that produce coconuts, cocoa and balsa wood.  It also owns a cattle operation in Queensland, Australia.

Source: Pacific Magazine.  WR Carpenter Making Counter-Bid for Ramu Agri Industries Ltd.  Tereni Kens.  June 4, 2008.

Philippines

Cruz Aquaculture Corporation

Philip Cruz, head of the Cruz Aquaculture Corporation, is upbeat about the popularity, acceptance and marketability of the white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) and thinks giant tiger (P. monodon) farmers on the island of Negros should switch over to it.  There are 650 hectares of active shrimp ponds on Negros.  Currently, 80% of them produce monodon and 20% of them produce vannamei.

“Given all the advantages of growing vannamei, the present 20 percent could be conservatively increased to more than 50 percent,” said Cruz, who thinks vannamei would revitalize the Negros shrimp farming industry.  “You would see sprawling shrimp ponds just like in the 1980s.  With the high cost of fuel, little wonder that domestic prices of monodon shrimp are more than $6.69 a kilo.  With vannamei, this would be reduced to $4.46 or less and therefore even the Filipinos could afford to eat shrimp.”

Vannamei feeds contain 25 to 30 percent protein while monodon feeds contain 40 to 45 percent protein.  Cruz said that since protein produces ammonia, monodon farmers change pond water once a week, while vannamei farmers can use the same water for more than a month.

Source: Sun Star.  White shrimp to spur Negros shrimp industry.  June 6, 2008.

Saudi Arabia

Wants Information on Penaeus indicus

Sebastien Stoll (sebstoll@hotmail.com): I am looking for information on Penaeus indicus broodstock management, specifically information on optimal broodstock stocking densities and average time to spawning after stocking in maturation tanks.

Source: AquaNic (The Aquaculture Network Information Center, a gateway to the world’s electronic aquaculture resources, http://aquanic.org/index.htm).  Shrimp Discussion Group (http://www.aquanic.org/discuss/shrimp.htm).  P. indicus maturation and spawning (http://www.aquanic.org/discuss/_shrimp/000011bc.htm and http://www.aquanic.org/discuss/_shrimp/000011bd.htm).  From: sebstoll@hotmail.com.  June 6, 2008.

Thailand

Prices Fall Because of The True Cost of Shrimp

Officials from the Homeland Security Department, representatives from the International Labor Organization and nongovernmental organizations have begun a 12-day investigation of working conditions in the Thai shrimp industry.  The investigators will visit shrimp processing plants in Samut Sakhon, Samut Prakan and Rayong.

On June 2, 2008, vannamei were being quoted at $3.22 for one kilogram containing 50 shrimp, a sharp drop from $3.87 in May.  Poj Aramwattananont, president of the Thai Frozen Foods Association, said that following allegations of abuses of foreign workers by the Thai shrimp industry, USA importers have delayed some orders for Thai shrimp, leading to a price slump.  Adirek Sripratak, the president and chief executive officer of Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF), Thailand’s largest food exporter, met with Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej on June 2 and urged him to clearly explain Thailand’s position to USA officials, foreign embassies and NGOs.

Source: Bangkok Post.  Labour report hits shrimp orders in US.  Phusadee Arunmas.  June 3, 2008. 

Thailand

Solidarity Center Will Not Name Names

The National Fisheries Institute, a USA-based advocacy organization for the seafood industry, is telling its members that the USA Department of Labor will most likely issue a report listing shrimp from Thailand and Bangladesh as being produced with reason to believe that child labor or forced labor was involved.

Since the AFL-CIO solidarity center issued its report, The True Cost of Shrimp, NFI has asked for specific details about abusive plants, so that the labor violators can be investigated and shut down.

The Solidarity Center has replied that any meeting, as requested by NFI, would require an understanding that no information that could be used to blacklist workers or shut down plants would be given.  It says, “As you are no doubt aware, the vast majority of shrimp processing workers in Thailand are Burmese migrants who have no choice but to take a low-wage, dangerous job in order to escape political repressions or extreme poverty in their own country.  With even the best of intentions, disciplinary action could have unforeseen consequences for these workers, placing them in jeopardy of deportation or worse.”

The center also said, in a letter to NFI, that it recognizes that some facilities provide decent work and treat both migrant and local workers with respect and dignity.

NFI president John Connelly recently visited several shrimp plants in Thailand, and met with the Thai Frozen Food Association, the Thai Shrimp Association, USA Embassy officials including the USA Deputy Chief of Mission, members of the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Custom Enforcement office, and officials from the Thai Department of labor.

Many of these officials are engaged in their own investigation of Thai shrimp industry labor practices and should issue a report in the near future.

The process has consequences for shrimp exporters, as the Thai Frozen Food Association has already reported that some major buyers are delaying shipments while the issue is investigated.  It seems likely that the group initiating the complaint and the government of Thailand will have to come to some agreement on remedies before the AFL-CIO removes the threat of tagging shrimp from Thailand as produced with child or forced labor.

Information: John Connelly, National Fisheries Institute, 7918 Jones Beach Drive, Suite 700, McLean, VA 22102 USA (phone 703-752-8880, http://www.aboutseafood.com).

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service).  NFI expects US government to issue trafficking report on Thailand and Bangladesh mentioning shrimp.  John Sackton.  Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com).  June 3, 2008.

United States

Illinois—Tour a Freshwater Prawn Farm

On July 11, 2008, the University of Illinois Extension Service will conduct a tour of Lyons Fisheries in Sandoval, Illinois, where Brenda and J.C. Lyons raise freshwater prawns (Macrobrachium rosenbergii).

“The prawn industry in Illinois has made drastic changes since the demise of the Illinois Fish Farmers Co-op that processed and marketed the prawns for the industry,” said Brenda Lyons.  “There are about a dozen prawn growers left in Illinois.  The majority of these growers have developed their own markets by holding harvest festivals that offer food and entertainment on harvest day.”

On the tour, which will also stop at other agriculture enterprises, participants will learn why freshwater prawns are raised in the summer and rainbow trout in the winter.  The tour will include a presentation on how to get started in prawn farming, where to find support and where to get information on state rules and regulations.  Participants will visit a prawn hatchery, nursery and growout ponds, and live prawns will be on display.  Freshwater prawn cookbooks will be available for sale.

Registration Fee: $20 per person, includes lunch.  You must register at least one week in advance.  Visit http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/smallfarm/ to register and for more details about the tours, including a map and agenda.

Information: Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant (phone 217-968-5512, email cvnghgrn@uiuc.edu).  To register by phone, contact Donna Cray at 217-241-4644.

Source: ACES News (University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana).  Tours Feature Prawns and “Subscription Farming”.  Debra Levey Larson (phone 217-244-2880, email dlarson@uiuc.edu).  June 2, 2008.

United States

Tennessee—Aero-Tube Aeration

In this study traditional mechanical paddlewheel aeration was compared to Aero-Tube™ fine bubble diffusion tubing.  The analysis was done at the following salinity levels: 0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, 2.5%, 3.0%, 3.5%, 4.0% and 4.5%.

In all treatments Aero-Tube was more efficient at transferring oxygen than paddlewheel aeration.  Improvements in standard aeration efficiency ranged from 250% at zero salinity up to an increase of over 400% at 4.5% salinity.  Based on these results, the use of alternative aeration technologies such as fine bubble diffusion tubing can greatly increase the efficiency of aerating aquaculture systems while reducing overall production costs of the culture species.

Information: John Cooksey, World Aquaculture Conference Management, P.O. Box 2302, Valley Center, CA 92082 USA (phone 760-751-5005, fax 760-751-5003, email worldaqua@aol.com, webpage http://www.was.org).

Source: World Aquaculture Society.  The CD of Aquaculture 2008 America (Orlando, Florida, USA, February 2008).  Abstract 165.  Aeration Technology: New Advances in Aquaculture.  Michael Hicks (mike@gseeinc.com) and Trent Johnson (GSEE, Inc., 599 Waldron Road, LaVergne TN 37086 USA).

Vietnam

Wants to Process Shrimp for Other Countries

The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP) says Vietnam could bolster its seafood-processing industry if the government lifted tariffs on seafood imports.

At a conference during the first week of June 2008, VASEP spokesmen Nguyen Huu Dung and Ngo Phuoc Hau said Vietnam could surpass China as the world’s largest seafood exporter if tariffs of 10 to 20 percent on seafood imports were removed.  He thinks the government should invest in measures that would allow the seafood processing industry to increase its secondary processing and reexporting businesses.

According to VASEP, seafood processors are operating well under capacity, with some producing only 30 to 50 percent of their potential output.  Vietnam has thousands of seafood processing plants with an annual output capacity of 1.5 million to 2 million metric tons.

Tran Van Linh, general director of Thuan Phuoc Seafood Trading Co., said processors only had enough seafood to operate three to five months a year.  He said if the processing industry were allowed to import seafood products for processing and reexport, it would potentially employ thousands of workers.

Source: SeafoodSource.com.  VASEP Asks Government to Lift Tariffs.  June 6, 2008.

Vietnam

Statistics

In 2001, Vietnam had 250,000 hectares of shrimp ponds; today it has 530,000 hectares, maybe the most of any country in the world.

Source: Vietnam News Agency.  Vital marine, coastal ecosystems in danger.  June 2, 2008.

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