USMSFP Gets Its Funding Back—IF

The House and Senate have passed a $500 billion sending bill that includes $3.1 million for the United States Marine Shrimp Farming Program in fiscal year 2008!

The bill does not have to go to “conference” because, except for some military appropriations, the wording is the same in both the House and Senate versions of the bill.

If President Bush signs the bill, which he is expected to do, it could become effective as early as today, Friday, December 21, 2007.

After more than two decades of funding, the program lost its funding in fiscal year 2007.

Source: Bob Rosenberry, Shrimp News International, December 21, 2007.

Sea Ark

Licenses Its Technology to a Company in China

On December 11, 2007, Sea Ark, which is developing a billion dollar shrimp farm in South Africa (below), signed an agreement to license its technology to China Direct in the city of Zhanjiang, China.

Gavin Watson, CEO of Sea Ark, owned by the Bosasa Group of companies, said, “We’ve taken the science and put it into the software.  All the information is web-based so you can access it anywhere in the world.  It’s shrimp farming for dummies.”

This means scientists in South Africa will be able to monitor operations in China in real time and intervene if necessary.  “This is vital because if something goes wrong and you have to fly the scientists there, the shrimp would be dead by the time they arrive,” says Watson.

The workflow, business intelligence and management software was largely developed in-house by Sondolo IT, another Bosasa subsidiary, and cost about $5 million.

Software developer William Brander says they’ll use the software to monitor all vital parameters, like biosecurity, water quality, temperature and nutrition.  “It is essentially a workflow management system that is structured around the life cycle of shrimp.  It takes care of your maintenance and is basically an end-to-end logistics system on the management side.”

The technology will be deployed at China Direct’s facility in the city of Zhanjiang economic development zone and will be built and managed by two other Bosasa companies: BuildAll, a project management company, and Sondolo Information Technologies.

In China, BuildAll will deploy a permanent team of four project managers and Sondolo Information Technologies will deploy software engineers for the duration of the construction of the Zhanjiang farm.  Supported by architects, plumbers, electrical, civil and software engineers on a rotational basis, the team will ensure that the Chinese facility is built to the exact tolerances and specifications developed in South Africa during Sea Ark’s pilot phase.

As part of the agreement between Sea Ark and China Direct, BuildAll will ensure that every one of the 8,000 ponds to be built in China conforms to the norms established in South Africa.  Once the Chinese facility is fully operational, technical experts from BuildAll will stay in China to help run the project and to convert existing open ponds to the closed, biosecure, Sea Ark system.

Many of Sea Ark’s patented processes will be run remotely from South Africa.  Water quality, temperature, feed consistency and plant biosecurity will be monitored online by South African technicians.

“The construction has to be exact for SeaArk’s science to work,” says Arthur Kotzen, chairman of BuildAll.  “Sometimes it is literally a matter of millimeters—the ponds have to be done in a precise way for the operating systems to work.”

David Wills (left), president of Sea Ark, says he is also talking with potential partners in Saudi Arabia and Mozambique.  If farms are established there, they will also be remotely monitored from the South Africa control center.  The company has also received inquiries from Brazil and Turkey.  Dr. Bill McGraw, chief scientist at Sea Ark, is on the right.

Software developer William Brander says: “Everything has been designed using a modular approach and services-oriented architecture.  The biggest challenge we had was bandwidth.  We needed to find a way of getting all the data from China and then sending it back.  The available bandwidth doesn’t support that too well.  We have a very rich display, so what we’ve done is implement Microsoft Silverlight to carry data across multiple web services and collate it so you can make the appropriate comparisons and management decisions.”

The Sea Ark Farm in South Africa

Sea Ark also announced that it plans to begin work on a 1,200-hectare, high-tech shrimp farm in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape Province, that will employ 11,000 people.

The project, expected to reach full capacity in 2014, has a total investment value of $1.4 billion.  The completion of an environmental impact assessment is expected within weeks.

Sea Ark president David Wills says the biotechnology deployed at the farm was developed in the USA at a cost of $40 million, adding that it took 15 years to perfect and allows the company to grow shrimp at higher densities and at twice the weekly growth rate as the rest of the shrimp farming industry.  Wills said, “What shrimp farms across the world do in three to four months, we do in ten to eleven weeks.  We can literally grow a shrimp to the same size as our competitors two to three times faster.”

Sea Ark said that South African and USA scientists, working in South Africa and supported by BuildAll and Sondolo Information Technologies, developed the closed, indoor, computer-controlled, biosecure shrimp farming system.

When completed in 2014, the farm hopes to be producing 20,000 metric tons of shrimp a year.

The farm could generate 88,000 indirect employment opportunities for a number of other industries, like transportation, catering, security, construction and maintenance.

Besides 1,000 jobs for women in the shrimp processing facility, there should be significant numbers of skilled posts for laboratory technicians, engineers, marine biologists and software specialists.

Sources: 1. Engineering News.  R9,2bn prawn farming facility for Coega (http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article.php?a_id=123420).  Olivia Spadavecchia.  December 11, 2007.  2. Itweb.  SA to export bio-farming IT (http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/business/2007/0712121100.asp?S=IT%20in%20Manufacturing&A=ITM&O=FRGN).  Leon Engelbrecht.  December 12, 2007.  3. AllAfrica.com.  South Africa/Hi-Tech Prawn Farm “Will Bring Jobs to Coega Zone” (http://allafrica.com/stories/200712120391.html).  Sibongakonke Shoba.  December 12, 2007.

China’s Dirty Waters

In a series of articles entitled “Choking on Growth”, The New York Times has been reporting on the human toll, global impact and political challenge of China’s epic pollution crisis.  The eighth article—at the top of the front page and spread across three columns with a seven-inch by four-inch color photograph of a fish farm—targets aquaculture.  Fish farming, especially eel and tilapia farming, receive most of the criticism, but shrimp farming does not go unmentioned:

In Fujian Province “lie dozens of enormous ponds filled with murky brown water and teeming with eels, shrimp and tilapia, much of it destined for markets in Japan and the West.”

“The city of Fuqing is No. 1 on a list for refused seafood shipments from China.  Fuqing is one of the centers of a booming industry that over two decades has transformed this country into the biggest producer and exporter of seafood in the world and the fastest-growing supplier to the United States.”

“But that growth is threatened by the two most glaring environmental weaknesses in China: acute water shortages and water supplies contaminated by sewage, industrial waste and agricultural runoff that includes pesticides.  The fish farms, in turn, are discharging wastewater that further pollutes the water supply.”

“‘Our waters here are filthy,’ said Ye Chao, an eel and shrimp farmer who has 20 giant ponds in Fuqing.  ‘There are simply too many aquaculture farms in this area. They’re all discharging water here, fouling up other farms.’”

“Farmers have coped with the toxic waters by mixing illegal veterinary drugs and pesticides into fish feed, which helps keep their stocks alive yet leaves poisonous and carcinogenic residues in seafood, posing health threats to consumers.”

“Fuqing (pronounced foo-CHING) is at the top of the list this year for refused shipments of seafood from China, with 43 rejections through November 2007, according to records kept by the United States Food and Drug Administration.  All of those rejections involved the use of illegal veterinary drugs.”

Source: The New York Times.  Choking on Growth, Part VIII, In China, Farming Fish in Toxic Waters.  David Barboza.  December 15, 2007.

Country Reports

Bangladesh

Job—Penaeus monodon Hatchery Technician

Company: The ECMT Group.

Salary: Dependent on experience.

Closing Date: December 30, 2007.

Qualifications: College graduate with three to five years of hands-on experience in a shrimp hatchery.

Job Description: Algae and postlarvae production.  Water quality management.  Must achieve 40% survival of postlarvae.  On probation for the first month.

Information: Dr. Shariff Ishaque (phone 8801713160027 or 8801813557378, email ishaq7@usa.net, Yahoo Messenger idd prince_ish2003).

Source: AquaNic (The Aquaculture Network Information Center, a gateway to the world’s electronic aquaculture resources, http://aquanic.org/index.htm).  Jobs Directory (http://www.aquanic.org/Text/job_serv.htm) In cooperation with the WAS Employment Service.  Search jobs (http://aquanic.org/jobs/search.asp).  P. monodon Hatchery Technician (http://aquanic.org/jobs/jobinfo.asp?jobid=2671).  Posted, December 15, 2007.

China

Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province

In 2006 [my guess at the year], the subtropical city of Zhanjiang produced 150,000 metric tons of farmed shrimp from 27,600 hectares of ponds.  The harvest was worth more than a billion dollars, accounting for 20% of China’s total production.  Recently, production has been growing at the rate of 30% a year.  The city has over 400 shrimp hatcheries that produce a total of 60 billion postlarvae a year.  The hatcheries ship postlarvae all over the country and even sell some to Vietnam.  Over 80% of the city’s processed shrimp products are exported to the USA.

Forty-one seafood processors in Zhanjiang have obtained HACCP certification.  The city can process 489,000 tons of seafood a year.

Representatives from the USA Food and Drug Administration, the European Union and other countries have visited Zhanjiang to inspect the quality control system for shrimp farming and gave the city high marks.

The quarantine office in Zhanjiang City is extending rigorous guidance to seafood exporting companies in a bid to clear technological trade barriers.  The office said it is promoting its quality and safety control system for seafood, and it recently introduced electronic seafood control systems.

A quarantine testing official in the city said, “Our food exports, especially seafood exports, are facing an extremely severe situation due to the impact of technological trade barriers.  In a bid to cope with this plight, the office reinforced management of aquaculture sites in compliance with the central government’s requirements to improve food safety.  Specifically, we have taken measures to eliminate residual chemicals in seafood.  We also cancelled...the licenses for farming sites that don’t comply with our guidance or are continuing inadequate management.  At the same time we adopted an electronic seafood control system and reinforced information management for seafood exports.  By taking these measures, I believe we will overcome trade barriers.”

Sources: 1. Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service).  Guandong’s Zhanjiang city says shrimp production given high marks by US inspectors; 80% goes to US.  Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com).  September 6, 2007.  2. Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service).  Guangdong Province takes “rigorous action” by canceling aquaculture site licenses.  Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com).  December 7, 2007.  3. Bob Rosenberry, Shrimp News International, December 18, 2007.

Ecuador

Statistics

In November 2007, Ecuador released a report on the number of hectares utilized for shrimp farming in the country.

The report said that shrimp farming is taking place on 48,649 hectares of mangroves, 79,685 hectares above the high tide line and 46,919 hectares of tidal areas.  In 1984, Ecuador had 89,366 hectares of shrimp ponds, and it now has 175,253.  Since 1995, however, no new ponds have been built because of the whitespot virus’s crippling effect on the industry.

According to captain Bolivar Sanchez, the head of the Port of Guayaquil, there has been an increase in the number of complaints about mangrove destruction by the shrimp farming industry.  But, he says, shrimp farmers are just expanding into ponds that were abandoned in the early 1990s because of the whitespot virus.

Rodrigo Laniado, who owns shrimp farms around the Gulf of Guayaquil, says that structural changes in the government and other paperwork have delayed permit renewals.

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service).  Ecuador releases first official inventory of hectares under shrimp cultivation (Translated by Angel Rubio).  Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com).  December 5, 2007.

Iran

Shrimp Trade with Europe Resumes

Mohammad-Reza Eskandari, Minister of Agriculture, says Iran will resume shrimp exports to the European Union.  Earlier, the European Union stopped importing Iranian shrimp on the pretext that its State Veterinary Organization had not submitted some required documents on time.

Sources: 1. The FishSite.  Europe Upholds Shrimp Ban (http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/5404/europe-upholds-shrimp-ban).  October 9, 2007.  2. PressTV.  Iran to reinitiate EU shrimp export (http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=34316&sectionid=351020102).  MPR/AA.  December 9, 2007.

Malaysia

Freshwater Prawn Conference

Hosted by the Malaysian Fisheries Society, “Giant Malaysian Prawn 2008”, a two-day international seminar, will be held in Kuala Lumpur on March 28-29, 2008.  The program will include papers on genetics, breeding, culture, nutrition, economics and marketing.

Information: email myfisoc@gmail.com, webpage http://www.vet.upm.edu.my/~mfs.

Source: Aqua Culture AsiaPacific (Editor/Publisher, Zuridah Merican, email zuridah@aquaasiapac.com, webpage www.aquaasiapac.com).  Giant Malaysian Prawn 2008.  Volume 3, Number 6, Page 44, November/December 2007.

Malaysia

Tiger Shrimp Project

In August 2007, Kedah Agro Industries, Bhd. (Kedah Agro), which took partial control of a 405-hectare, tiger shrimp farm in Air Hitam, signed a ten-year contract to manage some ponds at the farm.  Wan Afif Wan Mohamed Aqble, a Kedah Agro business manager, said, “Through the contract, our company would only handle and develop 76 ponds, of which 40 are for tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon).  Another 36 ponds are for white shrimp (P. vannamei).”

Source: NSTonline.  Tiger prawn project thriving up north (http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/20071207083020/Article/index_html).  December 7, 2007.

Middle East ?

Job—Shrimp Farm Manager

Gulf Shrimp has a position open for a shrimp farm manager.

Location: Gulf countries [countries not named, probably the Persian Gulf].

Salary: Commensurate with experience.

Closing Date: January 5, 2008.

Qualifications: Graduate in Fisheries/Aquaculture with a minimum five years of field experience in the operation and management of shrimp farms and a minimum of three years experience working with HDPE-lined ponds in sandy soils.  Experience with Penaeus indicus preferred.

Job Description: Will report to the general manager of the farm.

Information: Send a detailed resume to General Manager at gulfshrimp@hotmail.com.  Short listed candidates will be asked to forward a feasibility report on the technical and financial aspects of implementing a shrimp farm using HDPE-lined ponds in sandy soils.

Source: AquaNic (The Aquaculture Network Information Center, a gateway to the world’s electronic aquaculture resources, http://aquanic.org/index.htm).  Jobs Directory (http://www.aquanic.org/Text/job_serv.htm) In cooperation with the WAS Employment Service.  Search jobs (http://aquanic.org/jobs/search.asp).  Shrimp Farm Manager (http://aquanic.org/jobs/jobinfo.asp?jobid=2673).  Posted December 18, 2007.

Middle East

USA Troops to Feast on Farm-Raised Shrimp

USA forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as those in nearby Bahrain, Dubai and Djibouti, will feast on 103,000 pounds of shrimp on Christmas.

Source: Pittsburg Post-Gazette.  Capitol Notes/Your tax dollars at work on the farm (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07350/841876-28.stm).  Lisa Hoffman (hoffmanl@shns.com) and Lee Bowman (Scripps Howard News Service).  December 16, 2007.

Russia

Becoming a Major Market for Shrimp

Russian and Eastern Europe are becoming major markets for seafood.  Nadezhda Kopytina, president of the Ledovo Group, which sells a lot of shellfish, says that Russia will import 50,000 tons of coldwater shrimp in 2007.  Consumption of warm water shrimp is increasing as well.

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service).  Russian shrimp and shellfish market growing rapidly.  Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com).  December 12, 2007.

Thailand

Child Labor in the Shrimp Processing Industry

Peeling shrimp for 14 hours a day can break the most weathered of workers, but not Som, a Myanmar migrant toiling in a Thai factory side-by-side with her family.  She processes more seafood with her nimble 14-year-old fingers than many of her aging colleagues, making her a bona fide breadwinner although she earns only about three dollars a day.  Truth told, she’d rather have a pencil in her hand than a crustacean.  “I’d prefer to go to school, but I have to make money,” she said, while sitting cross-legged on the floor of a drab one-room dwelling in Samut Sakhon, a coastal province 30 kilometers west of Bangkok.  “I don’t like the work, but I have to do it,” she added.  Seven years ago Som and her family joined the hundreds of thousands of Myanmar migrants in Thailand, fleeing the hardships of life under the military regime that has run their country’s economy into the ground.

Samut Sakhon is one of Thailand’s wealthiest provinces, home to 40 percent of the kingdom’s two billion-dollar-a-year seafood processing industry.

Panisuan Jamnarnwej, director of the Thai Frozen Food Association, oversees 56 member factories in Samut Sakhon that readily employ Burmese migrants.  While Panisuan is quick to defend his members, saying all abide by Thai law, he admits some working conditions in Samut Sakhon are not ideal.  “But there are slave factories everywhere, even in New York,” he said.

Source: AFP.  Myanamar woes raise fears of new migration to Thailand (http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hGUKG_mAd7Rxk8z12PjSJ9QeSE4g).  December 7, 2007.

Thailand

Vannamei Rules

Shrimp production in Thailand has been increasing year by year, with aquaculture output reaching 400,000 tons in 2005.  Harvests from the commercial shrimp fishery totaled 80,000 tons in 2005.  Aquaculture output has been consistently expanding while production of wild shrimp has been on a constant decline since its peak of 130,000 tons in 1996.  In 2006, aquaculture production increased to about 450,000 tons, more than twice as much as the 220,000 tons in 1997.

One of the reasons for increasing shrimp output is the production of white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei).  In 2003, the black tiger shrimp (P. monodon) accounted for about 50% of farmed shrimp production.  In 2004, it dropped to 20% and vannamei production jumped to 80%.  In 2006, vannamei production expanded to 90%, and it is forecast to go beyond 95% in 2007.

The top importer of Thai shrimp, both frozen and processed, is the United States, buying 196,826 tons or 32% of the Thai output in 2006.  The USA is followed by Japan with 53,867 (26%) tons and the European Union with 20,573 tons (12%).

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service).  Vannamei will account for 95% of Thai production this year, says review of Thai shrimp industry.  Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com).  December 7, 2007.

United States

Arizona—Season’s Greeting from Desert Sweet Shrimp

This is the time of year that we tell people to forget turkey and enjoy farm-raised Desert Sweet Shrimp.  Many people do their holiday shopping with us, and we ship all over the country.  The typical shipping cost (via Fed Ex Ground) is about six dollars a package.  Thank you for supporting sustainable and environmentally friendly shrimp farming.

It’s too late to get Desert Sweet shrimp for Christmas, but if you order right away, you can get it in time for your New Year’s party.

Information: Craig Collins (phone 623-393-0136, webpage http://www.desertsweetshrimp.com).

Source: Emails to Shrimp News International from Desert Sweet Shrimp.  Subjects: Shipping Sustainable Shrimp, and Shipping Schedule.  December 15 and 18, 2007.

United States

California—Job, Brine Shrimp Farm

Carlsbad Aquafarm in Carlsbad, California, has a job opening for a consultant on a brine shrimp farming project.

Closing Date: Friday, January 18, 2008.

Qualifications: Previous experience in high density and high volume culturing of brine shrimp.

Information: Matt Steinke (email info@carlsbadaquafarm.com).  No telephone calls.  Respond via email, and include “brine shrimp” in the subject line of your email.

Source: AquaNic (The Aquaculture Network Information Center, a gateway to the world’s electronic aquaculture resources, http://aquanic.org/index.htm).  Jobs Directory (http://www.aquanic.org/Text/job_serv.htm) In cooperation with the WAS Employment Service.  Search jobs (http://aquanic.org/jobs/search.asp).  Consultant for High Density Brine Shrimp Grow-out (http://aquanic.org/jobs/jobinfo.asp?jobid=2674).  Posted December 18, 2007.

United States

Hawaii—Jobs, Moana Technologies

Moana Technologies, LLC, a producer of genetically improved and disease-free, giant tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon), is looking for full-time aquaculture workers for its nucleus breeding center in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii.  No experience needed; training will be provided.  Your primary job will be taking care of shrimp.  Flexible work schedules are available.  If you are motivated, willing to work hard and learn on the job, Moana wants you!  It offers competitive salaries, benefits and a fun working environment.  Send your resume to s.horemans@moanatech.com or fax to 808-331-2457.

Source: Hawaii Aquaculture News.  Editor, Jim Szyper (phone  808-938-4872, email jszyper@hawaii.edu).  Job Opportunities–Shrimp Breeding.  Volume 1, Number 2, Page 1, December 2007.

United States

Iowa—Ethanol Byproducts in Shrimp Feeds

Dr. Hank Harris, an animal science professor at Iowa State University, thinks the leftovers from ethanol production could be used in shrimp feeds and spawn a whole new industry in the Midwest.  “The opportunity is huge,” he said.  He is studying the concept with Dusty Loy, a graduate student, who has been feeding pellets made from dried distillers grains, a co-product of ethanol production, to shrimp.  He worked with Zeigler Brothers, a shrimp feed company in Pennsylvania, to develop pellets that contained 20 and 40 percent distillers grains.  It is feasible to include distillers grains in shrimp food, said Loy.  “The pellets work, and shrimp eat it,” but he had some problems with the stability of the pellets that had 40 percent distillers grains.  “At 40 percent, we couldn’t get the shrimp to grow.”  The shrimp did grow, however, when fed lower rates of distillers grains.

James Tidwell, chairman of the Kentucky State University Aquaculture Program, also has conducted studies with distillers grains.  He confirms Loy’s observations.  “In general, you can go to 20-30 percent distillers grains pretty easy,” he said, but lysine, a protein, becomes a limiting factor in feeding distillers grains at higher levels.  In addition, he said, if the distillers grains are too dry, the availability of vitamins could be affected.

In addition, dried plasma, a by-product of the meatpacking industry, could be used as an ingredient in shrimp feeds.  Since there are many packers in the Midwest, Harris says feed mills in the region could become a competitive source for shrimp feed.

Source: Iowa Farmer Today.  Ethanol industry could feed potential for shrimp farming (http://www.iowafarmertoday.com/articles/2007/12/06/top_stories/04shrimp.txt).  Tim Hoskins.  December 5, 2007.

United States

New Jersey—Epicore BioNetworks, Inc., New Hire

Epicore BioNetworks, Inc., announces the appointment of Fernando Garcia Abad as its new aquaculture business development director.  Abad has over 17 years experience in aquaculture in both academic and production areas.  He graduated with a degree in aquaculture engineering from the prestigious Universidad Politecnica del Litoral in Ecuador.  He has served as a consultant and has held management positions at shrimp maturation facilities, hatcheries and farms.

Information: Fernando Garcia Abad, Aquaculture Business Development Director, Epicore BioNetworks, Inc., 4 Lina Lane, East Hampton, NJ 08060 USA (phone 609-267-9118, fax 609-267-9336, email epicore@gbsias.com, webpage www.epicorebionetworks.com).

Source: Newswire.ca.  Epicore BioNetworks, Inc., Announces New Business Director (http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/December2007/10/c9011.html).  December 10, 2007.

United States

Washington, DC—Christmas Parties at the White House

According to the White House website, this season’s holiday parties will require 1,000 pounds of shrimp.

Source: Style Weekly.  Ornaments by Local Artists on White House Tree (http://www.styleweekly.com/article.asp?idarticle=15906).  Amy Biegelsen.  December 18, 2007.

Vietnam

BIM Seafood

BIM Seafood, part of the Halong Investment and Development Company, is the largest shrimp producer in Vietnam.  It has 270 hectares of shrimp ponds at the Minh Thanh Industrial Aquaculture Farm in Quang Ninh Province, which borders China, and 1,750 hectares of shrimp ponds in southern Vietnam.  It has a shrimp hatchery on Phu Quoc Island (off the southern coast of Cambodia) in Kien Giang Province and a seafood processing plant also in southern Vietnam.

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, BIM’s shrimp farming operations are a model for Vietnam’s seafood industry.

Two years ago, the farm in Quang Ninh expanded to the current 240 ponds.  The culture area is separated into Penaeus monodon and P. vannamei ponds.  Incoming water from the estuary, two kilometers away, is chlorinated and stored in 20-hectare reservoirs.

Mai Thi Thanh Hien, farm manager and director of BIM Seafood, said: Vannamei is the more profitable crop as the culture period is shorter at three months, and we can get two crops per year.  We started farming vannamei in 2003, stocking at 150 postlarvae per square meter, and got survival rates ranging from 50 to 60 percent.  The cost of production was around $1.43 to $1.56 per kilo, and usually the output was 10-12 tons per hectare per crop.  Up north, selling prices are lower than in the south, but they are still good.  In August 2007, we got $3.74 a kilo (farmgate price) for 12 to 15-gram vannamei (65-68 count per kilogram).

Hien added that prices for monodon were higher in northern Vietnam than in southern Vietnam.  She quoted 2006 prices at $5.80 a kilo in the north versus $5.61 in the south.  This year, she expects prices to increase to $6.05 a kilo for 35-40-count shrimp.  It takes 5 months to produce 25-gram monodon in the north.

In northern Vietnam, the production season starts in March, and a second crop of vannamei is stocked in August.  Postlarvae of both species are obtained from the company’s hatchery in the south.  The journey takes 32 hours.  Postlarvae are held in acclimation tanks for five days before stocking into ponds.  Culture stops during the winter months when temperatures drop to 12-15°C.  During this time, staff prepares the ponds for the next season’s crop and takes their annual holidays.

Currently, the production of monodon averages eight tons per hectare per crop.  In 2005, shrimp growth was slow and the harvests of both shrimp species averaged only five tons per hectare.  The farm management attributed this to the pond environment and decided to use probiotics.  They chose a combination of bacterial products produced locally and a product imported from Japan.  Today, the practice is to add probiotics every five days, and there has been a significant improvement in output.

Frequent thefts at the farm have been resolved with 35 security guards and three dogs.

Hien said, “Our 20 technicians are trained at college and degree levels.  We have 200 workers, each responsible for one hectare of ponds.  Some of them have been with us for more than three years.  They are divided into groups, each responsible for five hectares.  Each group works as a team.  As the bonus for high production is eventually divided amongst them, the group itself will ensure that all work to improve production.”

To increase profit margins, the farm hopes to produce larger shrimp.  The target for vannamei is 14-16-grams and for monodon 25-grams.

Halong Investment and Development Company is one of the leading private investment companies in Vietnam.  It was started in 1994 by Dr. Doan Quoc Viet who previously operated hotel restaurants and trading businesses in Poland.  He was also the developer behind the successful Halong Plaza Hotel.  He then made investments in Halong and other cities and gained the rights to develop the Phu Quoc Island Tourism Zone.  The island is recognized as the most beautiful island in Vietnam. Other ventures include real estate, tourism, salt production and seafood processing.  Part of the future investments in Halong will be a seafood processing plant that’s expected to be operational in 2008.  In 2007, the company began farming Pacific oysters in Halong Bay.

Source: Aqua Culture AsiaPacific (Editor/Publisher, Zuridah Merican, email zuridah@aquaasiapac.com, webpage www.aquaasiapac.com).  A role model for shrimp farming in the north and About BIM and seafood.  Volume 3, Number 6, Pages 10 and 11, November/December 2007.

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