Country Reports

Australia

Ban on Raw Shrimp Imports Questioned

What follows is the transcript of an interview broadcast on Australia’s Radio National (similar to National Public Radio, or NPR, in the United States).  Mark Colvin, who hosts the radio show called “PM”, introduced the segment with the following statement:

Startling new evidence has emerged which casts some doubt on last year’s decision to ban raw shrimp imports containing viruses.  The ban was instituted to protect Australia’s farmed and wild shrimp from diseases.  Since then tens-of-millions-of-dollars worth of shrimp have been turned away at Australian ports, angering some Asian governments.  But, as Jeff Waters reports, there are now claims that one of the diseases is already present in Australian shrimp.

Jeff Waters: The Seafood Importers Association has been angered by the impact of last year’s shrimp import ban, so it hired a private auditing firm to sample shrimp from two farms in the state of Queensland.  Without identifying the farms, the association sent the shrimp to two laboratories for tests on three viruses.  According to lab results obtained by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation [which owns Radio National], both batches tested positive for IHHNV [infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus].

Harry Peters [head of the Seafood Importers Association]: We’ve actually found IHHNV in at least six of the samples, and this is quite an issue.  It means that either the disease has been here for quite some time and has not been disclosed by the Australian shrimp farms or it has been brought here by a live shrimp transfer.

Jeff Waters: The previous federal government’s reasons for imposing the ban, even before a risk assessment had been completed, were questionable.

Harry Peters: Putting it bluntly, I call it political bastardry.  This is nothing other than Queensland politicians trying to protect their own electorate, and they have pushed this issue through.  They have convinced the Liberal Party to assist in this, and it really is a travesty of justice.

Jeff Waters: The Agriculture and Fisheries Minister asks that everyone with concerns about Australian shrimp make the information available to the government, something the seafood importers say they’ll do during the week of March 23-29, 2008.

Several Asian nations say the bans are unjust.

Thai officials have confirmed that there are plans for a World Trade Organization challenge, one that would cost Australia dearly to lose.

Tim Flegel [a professor at Mahidol University in Thailand]: I know that the Thais are talking to the Chinese and the Vietnamese and they have the same point of view.

Source: ABC.net.  Prawn ban faces criticism.  Jeff Waters.  March 20, 2008.

Bangladesh

Farms Getting Registered

In 2007, to make farmed shrimp traceable, the government began registering all the ponds in the country.  So far, approximately 139,206 shrimp ponds have been registered in five districts of southwest Bangladesh: 46,499 in Bagerhat, 47,084 in Khulna, 15,008 in Jessore, 25,730 in Satkhira and 4,885 in Narail.  When all the ponds are registered, officials estimate that southwest Bangladesh will have approximately 183,304 hectares of ponds in production.

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service).  Shrimp ponds being registered in southern Bangladesh to provide traceability.  Ken Coons (phone 781-861-1441, email kencoons@seafood.com).  Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com).  March 19, 2008.

Belize

World Wildlife Fund’s Shrimp Dialogue Meeting

At the World Wildlife Fund’s Shrimp Dialogue Meeting in Belize on April 1-2, 2008, Linda Thornton (aquamarbz@hotmail.com), general manager of Aqua Mar Belize, Ltd., a 1,000-acre shrimp farm; Sergio Escutia (sergio.escutia@aquastrat.com), owner of a shrimp farm in Sinaloa, Mexico; and Larry Drazba (ldrazba@ibw.com.ni), manager of Camanica, an integrated shrimp farm (hatchery, farm and processing plant) in Nicaragua, were named to the steering committee for the WWF’s shrimp dialogue.  Representatives from the seafood industry, government and nongovernment organizations were also named to the steering committee.

Source: Bob Rosenberry, Shrimp News International, April 5, 2008.

Brunei

Semaun to Hike Blue Shrimp Exports by 50%

Semaun Marine Resources, Sdn., Bhd., a shrimp processor/exporter, has seen steady growth in its exports of farmed shrimp to Taiwan and aims for a fifty percent increase in 2008.  In 2007, it exported about 400 tons of shrimp; in 2008, it hopes to export 600 tons.

“This shrimp is very popular in Taiwan.  It is a high-grade shrimp that is ranked on the same level as the sashimi shrimp that the Japanese eat,” said Richard Chuang Hsi Shan, general manager of Semaun Marine Resources, which packs locally produced shrimp for export.

Semaun Marine Resources is a joint venture between Semaun Holdings, wholly owned by the government, and Full Win Business, Pte., Ltd., a Taiwan-based company.

When it first exported shrimp to Taiwan, Semaun Marine Resources faced resistance to its high prices of between $10 and $11.50 for one kilo of shrimp.  “Marketing was very important in the beginning; many customers in Taiwan were asking us why we were selling this shrimp at a more expensive price.  That is why preserving the high shrimp quality is important,” said Chuang.

There is a glut of white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) on global markets, causing a drop in prices.  “Many farmers around the world prefer to harvest this shrimp because it can be harvested very often and the yield can go up to ten tons per hectare, compared to the blue shrimp (P. stylirostris) which yields 4-5 tons per hectare,” said Chuang.  “In Brunei, however, we are only allowed to farm two species of shrimp, the giant tiger shrimp (P. monodon) and the blue shrimp,” said Chuang.

Chuang said the company’s shrimp exports are doing very well in Taiwan because of the quality of the shrimp and the Taiwanese’s spending power.

Semaun Holdings helps manage the majority of the shrimp farms in Brunei and maintains the standards for blue shrimp.

Source: BruneiDirect.com.  Semaun to Hike Blue Shrimp Exports by 50%.  Debbie Too.  March 12, 2008.

China

Exports to the USA Dropping

Since heavy tariffs were placed on its shrimp in 2004, Chinese exports to the USA have experienced a rapid decline.  In 2007, China exported approximately 54,000 metric tons of shrimp to the USA worth $260 million, a drop 21% in value and 20% in volume from 2006.  In 2008, experts estimate that China’s shrimp exports to the USA will drop another 10,000 tons, to approximately 45,000 tons.

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service).  China’s shrimp exports to the U.S. expected to continue to decline as a result of antidumping duty.  Ken Coons (phone 781-861-1441, email kencoons@seafood.com).  Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com).  March 25, 2008.

Ecuador

Wanted—A Couple of Hectares of Greenhouses

Luis Fernando Botero (botero_fernando@yahoo.com): To group members in Ecuador: Does anyone have one to two hectares of used greenhouses for sale?

Amigos en Ecuador: Estoy interesado en comprar la estructura metalica de un invernadero, de 1 a 2 hectareas?

Source: The Shrimp List (a mailing list for shrimp farmers).  Green-Houses Ecuador.  Luis Fernando Botero.  March 23, 2008.

India

Andaman & Nicobar Islands—SPF Postlarvae

A project in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (owned by India, but off the southwest coast of Thailand) has successfully produced two generations of disease-free shrimp (Penaeus monodon) in captivity.  Sponsored by the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture, an organization formed under the aegis of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), the project employs a USA-based consultant.  A vigilant team of experts provides biosecurity for the facility, which plans to provide pathogen-free postlarvae to farmers.

Source: The Hindu.  Project to produce disease-free shrimp.  Staff Reporter (in association with a USA consultant).  March 21, 2008.

India

SPF Shrimp Hatchery for Andhra Pradesh

A hatchery is being established in the state of Andhra Pradesh to produce specific pathogen free shrimp.  It will use technology from Moana Technologies Hong Kong.  When it reaches full capacity in three years, the hatchery hopes to produce three billion postlarvae a year.

Source: Press Information Bureau.  New Shrimp Seed Multiplication Centre to Be Established in Andhra Pradesh.  March 20, 2008.

Indonesia

The December 2004 Tsunami Revisited

On Sunday, December 26, 2004, an earthquake off the northwest coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, triggered a tsunami that destroyed shrimp farms in southeast India, southwest Thailand and northwest Indonesia.  Here’s a new report on the damage in northwest Indonesia:

Banda Aceh, at the north end of the island of Sumatra, took the full brunt of the December 2004 tsunami.  Over 33,000 households in the region had registered their primary income as being generated from aquaculture before the disaster.  Along the coasts the majority of aquaculturists were small-scale shrimp farmers, operating family owned ponds (tambaks) of less than a hectare each.  All of the shrimp produced were marketed locally.  No freezing facilities were present, so shrimp could only be sold on ice or as dried products.  Even before the tsunami, many of the farmers were plagued with slow growth and low survival rates resulting from poor water quality and several diseases.  Monoculture of shrimp, multiple reuse of effluent waters, removal of mangroves and other vegetation and overfed ponds had contributed to a significant reduction in production in the years immediately prior to the tsunami.  The tsunami itself essentially destroyed all the coastal ponds of Aceh province.  The wave rushed over most of the villages built on the coastal berms and pushed much of the village contents into the ponds.  Virtually all of the dikes, control structures, canals and other infrastructure elements were completely obliterated.  Many of the shrimp ponds had been constructed in the coastal lagoons behind the beaches where most of the population lived.  The lagoons contained extensive mangrove forests before the shrimp farmers removed a considerable percentage of them.  In addition to the destroyed farms, the local aquaculture research and extension station at Ujong Battee was almost completely destroyed and the regional fisheries and aquaculture trade school in Ladong lost an entire busload of faculty and students in route to a picnic when the waves struck.

Source: World Aquaculture (the quarterly magazine of the World Aquaculture Society).  Editor-in-Chief, Robert Stickney.  Aquaculture restoration in the tsunami zone, Aceh Province, Indonesia.  Kevin Fitzsimmons (kevfitz@ag.arizona.edu).  Volume 39, Number 1, Page 41, March 2008.

Iran

Workshop on Health and  Biosecurity Management

Ali Ghawampour (alighawam@yahoo.com): On April 14-15, 2008, in Abadan, the Fisheries Department of Khuzestan Province will conduct a workshop on health and biosecurity management in shrimp farms and hatcheries.  The senior lecturer will be Professor I. Karunasagar from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Source: The Shrimp List (a mailing list for shrimp farmers).  Subject: [shrimp] Health management workshop.  April 10, 2008.

New Caledonia

Probiotic for Summer Syndrome

Lallemand, a supplier of natural products that improve animal performance and health, and IFREMER (Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer), an oceanographic institution in France, have published information that shows the benefits and possible modes of action of a probiotic called “Bactocell®”.

Results of an ongoing Lallemand/IFREMER partnership on probiotic applications and mechanisms of actions in shrimp farming have been published in the peer-reviewed journal Aquaculture.  Thanks to an original experimental system, the joint research program conducted by Mathieu Castex in Nouméa, New Caledonia (South Pacific), demonstrated that the administration of Bactocell (Pediococcus acidilactici MA 18/5 M) in the feed of marine shrimp (Penaeus stylirostris) could reduce vibriosis-associated mortality by up to 15%.

Moreover, Bactocell modes of action in shrimp were scrutinized and positive effects were highlighted on both digestive functions and gut-associated bacteria populations of the shrimp.  These results strengthen previous experimental and field data obtained with Bactocell in various shrimp species under different farming conditions, showing how this particular probiotic bacteria proves to be an effective solution to support sustainable shrimp farming.

When shrimps received Bactocell continuously in their feed, their overall gut microbial content was reduced, particularly the number of Vibrios.  There were also fewer Vibrio pathogens in the shrimp’s hemolymph.  This explains why, even though they were in the same ponds and submitted to the same pathogen pressure, the shrimp that received Bactocell survived better than those on the control diet.

Concerning the observed effects on shrimp performance, Castex explains: “We showed in our study that Bactocell improved the shrimp’s nutrient storage process in their digestive gland and enhanced the activity of their digestive enzymes.  So, by improving the overall digestive process, Bactocell optimizes feed utilization, resulting in better feed conversion rates and growth.  This is a property generally associated with probiotics in both aquatic and terrestrial animals, and it has been extensively demonstrated in the case of Bactocell in particular.”  Thanks to its use in various terrestrial species, Bactocell is already well described and characterized.

If you need more information about this report or previous research with Bactocell in shrimps as well as images or general information on probiotics, contact aqua@lallemand.com.

Source: LALLEMAND.  Probiotic P. acidilactici (Bactocell®): An effective tool in the fight against Vibriosis in shrimp production.  March 19, 2008.

Nigeria

FAO Supports Shrimp Farming

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, Italy, has thrown its weight behind shrimp farming in Nigeria.  FAO Aquatic Resource Manager Jim Miller said that $200 million would be invested in 20 shrimp farms by June 2008.  Recently, a three-day workshop was held in Nigeria to produce national guidelines for shrimp farm development in the country.

Source: Allafrica.com.  Nigeria: FAO Supports Shrimp Farming in Country.  Adelanwa Bamgboye Abuja.  March 19, 2008.

South Africa

SeaArk—Coega Development Corporation

The following report is from a television show in South Africa.  The show’s host David Williams interviews Pepi Silinga, chief executive of the Coega Development Corporation, which is developing the site where SeaArk plans to build its billion-dollar shrimp farm.

David Williams: I’m talking to Pepi Silinga about his latest road show to investors.  Pepi, what have you been telling potential investors?

Pepi Silinga: We are telling them that Coega is the place to be.  We have a very good value proposition: We will lower your costs, we will help you make your business more efficient and we will make you more responsive to your clients.

David Williams: There was an interesting story—and I’m not sure how far fetched it was—about a shrimp farm where the numbers involved seem very big—billions of rand—and they talked about creating 12,000 jobs, which doesn’t sound like a lot in one way, but it does sound like an awful lot for a new operation.  What’s happened with that?  It appears that all is not what it seems….

Pepi Silinga: We’ve been talking to that particular investor, which is going through an environmental impact assessment study at the moment.  The inventor has a prototype that’s actually operating on site.  The idea was that we would initially test it to see whether the concept works, and the concept has proven itself to work.  Technologically it’s a very interesting proposition that grows shrimp pretty fast, and they’re very big.  The idea is that it must be replicated to a scale that enables the numbers to materialize.  The project is going through due diligence.  At this stage, we can’t comment on the specific numbers as to how big it will be.  It’s a question of the availability of land and power because it consumes a little bit of power.

Source: Business Day.  Coega road show.  David Williams.  March 18, 2008.

Tanzania

Penaeus Monodon Broodstock Available

This exchange took place on the Shrimp List:

Edward Danish (edanish@yahoo.com): Giant tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) broodstock are available for immediate delivery.  This population has been monitored and tested for viruses for over ten years and has always tested free from viruses of major concern.  The shrimp have been used in many parts of world as the foundation of breeding programs.  For further inquiries, contact Glen Bieber (prawnto@yahoo.com).

Stephen Newman (sgnewm@hotmail.com): A group that I was working with in Suriname imported broodstock from Tanzania in late 2007 and some were found to be HPV (hepatopancreatic parvovirus) positive by Dr. Lightner’s lab at the University of Arizona.  Screening broodstock for import by using blue book population sampling statistics [the American Fisheries Society’s guidelines for sampling marine animals] is not adequate to ensure that specific pathogens are not present in the population.  Each adult should be screened.

Information: Stephen G. Newman, Ph.D., President and CEO, AquaInTech, Inc., 6722 162nd Place, SW Lynnwood, WA 98037 USA (phone 425-787-5218, fax 425-741-0857, cell 425-239-7682).

Source: The Shrimp List (a mailing list for shrimp farmers).  P. monodon broodstock available from east Africa.  March 22 and 23, 2008.

Thailand

Organic Certification

On March 25, 2008, the Thai Fisheries Department launched the Organic Agricultural and Farm Products Certification Office, an organic certification body that operates under the criteria outlined by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM).  The Certification Office is the national body for accrediting organic farms in Thailand.

Currently, the volume of Thailand’s organic shrimp shipments are far too small to serve the growing demand from the developed world, especially from European countries, where the consumption of organic food is expanding by about 10-20% a year.

Somying Piumsomboon, director general of the Thai Fisheries Department, said his department is working with Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GTZ, the German Agency for Technical Co-operation) to promote organic shrimp farming that meets international standards and preserves the environment.

A pilot, organic shrimp farm, Sureerath Farm, in Chanthaburi, already produces organic black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) for export to Switzerland and Germany that fetch prices that are as much as 30% higher than those for regular farmed shrimp.  Its success prompted the department and the GTZ to encourage more farmers to apply organic methods.  Now five groups (below) are set to produce a combined 1,073 metric tons of organic shrimp in 2008:

1. The Eastern Organic Prawn Alliance in Chanthaburi

2. Kungkrabaen Bay Royal Development Study Center in Chanthaburi

3. Laemfapha Shrimp Aquaculture Community Enterprise Group in Samut Prakan

4. Black Tiger Trang Group Farm in Trang

5. Dumrong Farm in Songkhla

The first two groups have already received organic certification from the Fisheries Department.  To maintain their organic status, they will be subject to an annual review.

Prayoon Hongrat, the president of Sureerath Farm and chief of the Eastern Organic Prawn Alliance, said raising premium-grade shrimp could catapult Thai shrimp ahead of the competition from rival exporting countries and give it the lead in the production of chemical-free products.  “There are a large number of organic grocery shops in Switzerland and Germany, reflecting strong health consciousness among consumers,” said Prayoon, who added that high production costs and a long growout season were the major obstacles to raising organic shrimp.

The production has to adhere to principles of organic agriculture that prioritize health, ecology, good management and the use of organic feeds.  The use of hazardous chemical substances including fertilizers and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are not allowed, and the entire production must be traceable.

Prayoon said organic shrimp farming requires lengthy crop cycles, up to six or seven months, compared with three or four months for traditional shrimp farming.  Higher prices for organic shrimp are the big draw.

Source: BangkokPost.com.  Organic certification for shrimp begins.  Walailak Keeratipipatpong.  March 26, 2008.

Thailand

Shrimp Fever Causes Environmental Problems

Sunton Chantong, a local fisherman and environmental advocate, gestured toward the Taseh River shore.  Two years ago, dolphins swam up from the sea, but as a result of industrial shrimp farming and oil palm cultivation, he said fewer big fish, crabs and jellyfish can be seen in the area.

Shrimp ponds have become the most recognizable symbol of coastal degradation in Trang, a southwestern Thai province bordering the Andaman Sea.  Villagers in the area have depended on the mangroves’ rich biodiversity—including crabs, mollusks, numerous fish species and shrimp—for centuries.  But during the 1990s, government subsidies and rising world prices for tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) spurred a boom that some locals called “shrimp fever”.  Environmental concerns became overshadowed by the prospect of getting rich quick.  Villagers tell of a time when literally every second family was digging a pond, and there was a new pickup truck in every driveway.

But many farmers released polluted pond water into the Andaman Sea and, as the number of farms rose, polluted water migrated back to the ponds, contaminating future harvests and the mangroves.  Now, according to Earth Island Journal, an estimated half of Thailand’s mangroves on the eastern and southern coasts have been destroyed.

Many villagers say shrimp fever has taught them a lesson: Shrimp ponds in and near mangroves mean fewer crabs and fish for local consumption.

YADFON, an environmental group started in 1985, is working with Sunton to wean the villagers off shrimp farming by introducing sustainable forms of agriculture and small fisheries.  To restore the coastal ecosystem, YADFON encourages converting shrimp ponds back to mangrove and reintroducing plants like nipa and sago, palm species naturally found in and around mangroves that shelter the life forms that small fisherman depend on for survival.

Nipa stems can be used to make household wares like baskets, while Sago meal is part of the traditional local diet.  In the mangroves near Pakron, a local village, 50 percent of the former shrimp farms have been restored to Nipa, sheltering fish that YADFON is trying to persuade the government to buy.

YADFON is also assisting villagers in organizing and protecting their rights.  As local fishermen have pulled back from shrimp farming, large-scale conglomerates have filled the void.  Behind the small concrete houses in the one-road village of Bat Hoi Lok, backhoes are digging out shrimp ponds as far as the eye can see.  Villagers say there will be 100 ponds in total, all working for Charoen Pokphand, an industrial conglomerate based in Bangkok.

Source: RedOrbit.com.  Shrimp Farms Cause Great harm to Thai Coasts.  March 24, 2008.

United States

Alabama—Job, Research Fellow

Auburn University has a position open for a Research Fellow I/II at the Claude Peteet Mariculture Center in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Salary: Commensurate with education and experience

Closing Date: Friday, April 11, 2008

Qualifications: The minimum qualifications are a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences or related field.  Candidate must be able to travel to Latin America.  The candidate selected for this position must be able to meet eligibility requirements for work in the United States.  Applicants must attach cover letter and resume to their online application and indicate their fluency in written and spoken Spanish.  Only complete applications will be selected for consideration.

Description: This is a three-year limited term position and is funded from external sources.  Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, supervising daily operations at the research station, conducting research with marine aquatic species (primarily native and nonnative shrimp species and Florida pompano) in both ponds and recirculation systems and preparing research reports, scientific papers and competitive grants.

Information: Refer to Requisition #22566 and apply online.  If you need assistance, contact Auburn University’s Department of Human Resources at 334-844-4145.

Source: AquaNic (The Aquaculture Network Information Center, a gateway to the world’s electronic aquaculture resources).  Jobs Directory in cooperation with the WAS Employment Service.  Search jobs.  Research Fellow I/II.  April 3, 2008.

United States

California—Triton Foods Shrimp Price List

Triton Foods, an importer and seafood trader in Southern California, posted the following prices on giant tiger shrimp for the week of April 7-11, 2008.

Giant Tiger Shrimp, Penaeus monodon (Dollars per Pound)
Size Count	HLSO* Bangladesh	HLSO* Vietnam	PTO** Vietnam
5/8		$12.75
8/12	$8.70	$8.85	$9.85
13/15	$6.40
16/20	$5.05	$5.25	$5.90
21/25	$4.55	$4.75	$5.40
26/30	$3.95	$4.10	$4.40
31/40	$3.00	$3.10
41/50	$2.80
51/60	$2.70
* Headless, shell-on ** Peeled and deveined, tail on

Information: Daniel Manfredi, Sales and Marketing, Triton Foods, 5798 Oak Bank Trail, Oak Park, California 91377 USA (phone 310-595-0288, fax 818-851-9035, email tritonfoods@aol.com).

Source: Email to Shrimp News International from Daniel Manfredi at Triton Foods on April 7, 2008.

United States

Florida—New Aeration System

I would like to take a moment to introduce myself.  My name is Phil Donatelli with Advanced Industrial Aeration.  We are a young company that has patented an entirely new method of aeration.  Our method can transfer more dissolved oxygen then any other aeration device in the world utilizing a fraction of the horsepower resulting in a healthier environment for marine life.  If you are interested in the benefits of our patented new method, please take a moment to visit our website and feel free to contact us at the number below.

Information: Phil Donatelli, Advanced Industrial Aeration, 436 Broadway, Orlando, FL 32803 USA (phone 407-426-7588, fax 407-426-7587, email phil.donatelli@aiaaeration.com).

Source: Email to Shrimp News International from Phil Donatelli at Advanced Industrial Aeration.  Subject: Aquaculture Industry Evolves with Patented New Aeration Method.  March 24, 2008.

United States

Washington, DC—National Fisheries Institute

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI, the nation’s leading advocacy organization for the seafood industry) is moving aggressively to counter a Greenpeace campaign to undermine seafood consumption at the retail level.

In the United Kingdom, Greenpeace has had some success in stampeding retailers by creating a ranking system, and publicizing which retailers, according to Greenpeace, had the best and worst sourcing and sales policies.  The move was effective because UK retailers had already committed to fighting for market share based on their appeal to environmentally conscious consumers.  This is the same factor that has made supermarkets in the UK look favorably on the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for certification.

Now, Greenpeace hopes to replicate their success in the USA.  It intends to create a ranking of the best and worst seafood retailers and then publicize the names of the retailers that score the lowest.  Greenpeace may even demonstrate at some stores and deface their buildings.

NFI has begun reaching out to retail seafood buyers, and importantly, to senior executives concerned with brand image, about the Greenpeace campaign, based on a seafood list of good and bad choices.  Among the list of species Greenpeace intends to use against retailers are Alaska pollock, Hoki, and South Georgia toothfish—three fisheries that have MSC certification as sustainable.

Furthermore, Greenpeace intends to target farmed salmon and farmed shrimp.  Altogether, it is asking seafood retailers to avoid 47% of the seafood that they are currently selling, including their most popular species.

Many USA seafood retailers have already taken substantial steps to responsibly ensure the sustainability of the seafood they purchase.  For example, about 1/3 of the farmed shrimp imported into the USA is now certified by the Aquaculture Certification Council at the processing plant level.  Further, many USA retailers have already announced other strategies for sourcing sustainable seafood.  In some cases this involves maximizing the use of MSC and other certifiers.  In other cases, it involves a third party review of sourcing issues by experts, such as the New England Aquarium.

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service).  NFI reaches out to supermarket execs as Greenpeace prepares to trash 47% of fish consumed at retail.  John Sackton, Editor and Publisher (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com).  March 24, 2008.

Vietnam

Disease Strikes Thousands of Shrimp Farms

Thousands of farmers in the Cuu Long River (Mekong) Delta are losing sleep as their one-to-two-month-old shrimp are dying on a large scale.  Many farmers have become penniless as a result.

In 2007, Sau Su in Phuoc Long Commune in Phuoc Long District, Bac Lieu Province, earned $626 from shrimp farming.  Encouraged by the profit, Su decided to turn three hectares of land near Bon Ngan Canal into shrimp ponds.  He stocked them with 72,000 postlarvae, but they all died.  Not discouraged, Su decided to start again.  He drove to Nha Mat ward in Bac Lieu Town and bought 50,000 postlarvae, stocked them, but they also died.

Su said that he had already lost the $626 he earned in 2007.  Many other extensive farming ponds in Phuoc Long, Gia Rai and Dong Hai also have seen massive numbers of shrimp mortalities.  Shrimp ponds in Bac Lieu Town, Vinh Chau, My Xuyen and Long Phu districts are also facing risks of epidemic attacks due to the changing weather.

Hua Tan Phong in Ward 5, Bac Lieu Town, who has three shrimp ponds, said all his shrimp died and he lost nearly $6,260.

Some shrimp farmers said that high pH levels in the ponds killed the shrimp.  Farmers will have to tackle the problematic ponds with lime and chemicals before they start the next crop.  They fear, however, that banks will not lend them money.

Adding to their burden, prices of seedstock have soared from $2.00 to $2.50 per 1,000 and feed prices have also increased.  Those who buy food under deferred payments will have to pay $2.50 to $3.75 for 50 kilos of shrimp feed.  As farmers cannot access bank loans, they have to borrow money from black market sources at exorbitant interest rates.

According to local authorities, shrimp are dying in 600 hectares of ponds in Soc Trang and Bac Lieu provinces.  Shrimp are dying in ponds in Tran Van Thoi, U Minh and Dam Doi districts.  Kien Giang Province has 9,000 hectares of shrimp ponds that have been hit with diseases, but the problem is even worse in Ca Mau Province, where there are 33,850 hectares of ponds with dead shrimp.

As of March 21, 44,000 hectares of shrimp ponds in the Cuu Long River (Mekong) Delta had been hit.

Nguyen Van Luan, a farmer in An Lac Commune in Tran Van Thoi District in Ca Mau Province, said that his shrimp, which had been in growout for two months, suddenly turned red, like cooked shrimp, and died.  Luan said that farmers have to eat the dead shrimp because they cannot sell them.  Other farmers have drained their ponds and treated them with chemicals.  Experts say that this is a foolish move because the diseases will return when they refill their ponds.

Phan Van Sa, Director of the Bac Lieu Hydrometeorology Centre, said that the unseasonal rains in Ca Mau caused the water quality in shrimp ponds to fluctuate dramatically.  That combined with the wide gap in the temperatures (33ºC during the day and 22ºC at night) caused the mortalities.

Phan Van Ut, Chief of the Secretariat of the Ca Mau Seafood Department, said that the 33,000 hectares of diseased ponds in Ca Mau account for 13% of the total shrimp farming area in the province, and that figure is lower than the damages last year.  Ut said that the department sent experts to localities to show farmers how to tackle the problem, but will not give them financial support.  He added that officials have advised farmers to diversify into fish and crab farming to minimize risks.

Source: VietnamNetBridge.  Shrimp dying in Cuu Long River Delta.  Han Son Dinh.  March 24, 2008.

Yemen

Penaeus Monodon Broodstock For Sale

Musallam Aquatic Farms reports that it has specific pathogen free Penaeus monodon broodstock for sale.  It also expects to harvest 100 tons of shrimp beginning in May 2008 and is accepting bids on 11/15, 16/20, 21/30, 31/40 and 40/60 count shrimp.

Information: Radhakrishnan, Manager, Musallam Aquatic Farms, PB 4533, Shodeidah, Yeman (musallamfarm@y.net.ye).

Source: Email to Shrimp News International from Radhakrishnan at Musallam Aquatic Farms.  Subject: Red Sea monodon.  March 23, 2008.

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