Kennedy Warne, author of the article, writes:
"Throughout the tropical world it's the same: Mangrove forests are the supermarkets, lumber yards, fuel depots and pharmacies of the coastal poor. Yet these forests are being destroyed daily. One of the greatest threats to mangrove survival comes from shrimp farming. At first glance, shrimp might seem the perfect export for a poor country in a hot climate. Rich countries have an insatiable appetite for it (shrimp has overtaken tuna to become America's favorite seafood), and the developing world has the available land and right climate to farm it."
"A prime location for shrimp ponds, though, happens to be the shore zone occupied by mangroves, an unhappy conflict of interests that has a predictable outcome: The irresistible force of commerce trumps the all-too-removable mangrove. To compound matters, shrimp farmers typically abandon their ponds after a few crop cycles (to avoid disease outbreaks and declining productivity) and move to new sites, destroying more mangroves as they go."
"Mangrove-rich Brazil was slow to stake its claim in the bonanza. By the time shrimp fever hit Brazil's northeastern states, around the turn of the millennium, shrimp-farming pioneers such as Thailand, the Philippines and Ecuador had been uprooting their mangroves for decades. Today, in the Brazilian port city of Fortaleza, ponds the size of football fields crowd the landscape like rice fields. Paddlewheel aerators froth the water, and workers in kayaks fill feeding trays with fish meal. Even where mangroves have been spared, access to them is often blocked by the shrimp farms."
"At the riverside settlement of Porto do Céu--'the gates of paradise'--an electrified fence shuts out villagers from their traditional harvesting grounds. ...The shrimp ponds have no lining, so saltwater has percolated through the sandy soil and contaminated the aquifer beneath. The villagers have been forced to abandon wells that until recently drew sweet fresh water.... The water is no longer sweet; it is salgada, saline, undrinkable."
"At Curral Velho, a community to the west of Fortaleza, people have been finding a voice to oppose Big Shrimp. Demonstrations have been organized, land deals challenged, and a public education center set up. Sister Mary Alice McCabe, an American nun who is helping the community in its struggle, says that one of the difficulties in raising awareness about carcinicultura--shrimp farming--is that most Brazilians aren't aware of the environmental damage it causes. 'Where does it happen, out at sea?' they ask. 'No, no, no,' we tell them, 'they're digging up your mangroves, they're destroying your coastline.'"
"Conversion of a mangrove forest to a shrimp pond changes a carbon sink into a carbon source, liberating the accumulated carbon back into the atmosphere--but 50 times faster than it was sequestered."
The article on mangroves is loaded with spectacular pictures (underwater, aerial, two-page spreads) and "file-this-one-away" background information on the plants, animals and people that make a living in the Forests of the Tide.
The February 2007 issue of National Geographic should be at your library or newsstand right now. Look for a big picture of a human heart on the cover. I paid $4.95 for a copy at my local Barnes & Noble Booksellers. You can read the full article and see one of the pictures at National Geographic's website: http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0702/feature5/.
Source: National Geographic (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/index.html). Forests of the Tide. Kennedy Warne (photographs by Tim Laman). Volume 211, Number 2, Page 132, February 2007.
Country Reports
Bangladesh
Antibiotic Testing
Following mammoth pressure from the European Community, the Bangladesh Frozen Food Exporters Association (BFFEA) recently bought a $432,728, LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry) machine to test for antibiotics in farmed shrimp. Installed at the Department of Fisheries in Dhaka, it's running trials on nitrofurans. BFFEA thinks the country will need three more LC-MS/MS machines, specifically for areas like Khulna in the southwest and Chittagong in the southeast where the shrimp are grown, processed and shipped.
Source: The New Nation. Business/Compliance with EC criteria: Shrimp exporters demand three more machines (http://nation.ittefaq.com/artman/publish/article_33659.shtml). Syful Islam. January 29, 2007.
Belgium
Investor Wants Shrimp Farm in South America
One of my clients wants to buy a small or medium-sized tilapia or shrimp farm in South America that has land for further development.
Information: Jean-Marc Libioulle (phone +32-495-476987, download Skype at http://www.skype.com/go/download and call me for free at skype:libioulle?call, email jmlibioulle@noe-aquaculture.com, webpage http://www.noe-aquaculture.com).
Source: The Shrimp List (a mailing list for shrimp farmers, "shrimp-subscribe@yahoogroups.com"). Subject: [shrimp] looking for shrimp/tilapia farm for sale in South America. From: libioulle@gmail.com. February 6, 2007.
Ecuador
Favorable Decision on Dumping
On January 30, 2007, according to the Associated Press, a World Trade Organization panel concluded that USA dumping duties on shrimp imports from Ecuador violate international trade rules. The 64-page report says the duties were inflated because of "zeroing", a practice that increases the amount of the duties. Since zeroing is not allowed by the WTO, its dispute settlement arm might request that the United States bring its dumping measures into alignment with global trade rules.
The United States also imposed duties on shrimp imports from Brazil, China, India, Thailand and Vietnam. In the case of Thailand and India, separate WTO panels are examining whether the USA duties conform to international trade rules.
Source: Kiplinger Forecasts.com. WTO Faults Some U.S. Duties on Shrimp (http://www.kiplingerforecasts.com/apnews/XmlStoryResult.php?storyid=295973). January 30, 2007.
Philippines
Crab Farming
Crab farming has become an integral part of aquaculture in the Philippines. In the early 1970s, fishpond operators in Bicol, Visayas, and Southern Tagalog began stocking crabs in their milkfish ponds. The mud crab, Scylla serrata, called "alimango", became the most popular species for farming, mostly because of its tasty eggs. Fishermen capture wild seed for stocking the ponds. It takes five to six months for them to reach market size of half a kilo on a diet of trash fish and kitchen refuse. Harvesting is done with a variety of traps, nets and corrals. Crabs are sold live and can stay out of the water for a week if they are kept in damp containers and sprayed periodically. Sellers tie the pincers to the abdominal cavity with string.
Information on Seminars and Training: Agri-Aqua Network International (phone 63-02-839-1772, email webmaster@aani.com.ph).
Information: PCAMRD (Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development), Department of Science and Technology, Jamboree Road, Brgy Timugan, Los Baños, Laguna, the Philippines (phone 49-536-5578, fax 049-536-1582, email, pcamrd@laguna.net).
Source: EntrePinosAtbb. Crab Culture and Farming (http://entrepinoys.blogspot.com/2007/01/crab-culture-and-farming.html, downloadable instruction manual, Entrepreneur's Guide to Mud Crab Fattening). January 27, 2007.
United Kingdom
Bloodworms and Seabait
Recent studies have shown that whitespot can be transmitted by bloodworms, a primary food supplement for shrimp broodstock. Seabait, a bloodworm farm in the United Kingdom, produces worms that are specific pathogen free (SPF) and traceable. The patented farming system uses small, closely monitored units to achieve very high production levels. Analysis has shown that Seabait worms have at least twice the level of lipids found in wild worms. No chemicals or medications are used at Seabait's farms. All worms are depurated, drained and blast frozen on site, preventing large ice crystals, deterioration of nutritional components and the breakdown of body structure on thawing. Each carton contains 40 flat packs weighing 454 grams (one pound) each. Customers can order both small and large quantities. The FOB price for worms is approximately $40 a kilogram. Air freight is the best mode for small orders.
Information: Seabait, Ltd. (in the United Kingdom, phone/fax 44-1670-81402).
Information: Zagro Singapore, Pte., Ltd. (Seabait in Singapore, phone 65-6759-1811, fax 65-6759-1855, email seabaity@zagro.com).
Information: Suzi Dominy, Feed Technology Update, P.O. Box 161081, Honolulu, Hawaii 96816 USA (Skype: suzidominy linx@hawaii.rr.com).
Source: Feed Technology Update (an online magazine, delivered as a PDF). Polychaetes. Volume 2, Issue 1, 2007.
United States
Florida--Neptune Industries Replaces Fishmeal with Insects
Boca Raton...On January 31, 2007, Neptune Industries, Inc., announced that it had opened discussions with Mississippi State University to begin research and development trials on the Company's advanced dietary nutritional component, Ento-Protein™, a high-quality protein derived from insects that can replace fishmeal in animal diets.
Ernest Papadoyianis, president of Neptune, said: "In our continuing efforts to bring our patent-pending Ento-Protein™ to market, Sal Cherch, chief operating officer, and I recently visited Mississippi State University. MSU's Entomology Department is renowned as a leader in insect growing, nutrition and rearing facilities. Dr. Frank Davis, Professor Emeritus, at the University was our host. Davis, formerly with the USDA, has traveled the world lecturing on entomology and designing insect rearing facilities. We were very pleased with the warm reception we received and the great interest level in our project. We have now developed a three-phase action plan which will involve research, pilot production and design of an automated commercial facility. The plan is to move forward in the development of both feed and rearing protocols with the University acting as the research arm. We regard this visit as a giant step forward in bringing Ento-Protein™ to market."
Based in Boca Raton, Florida, Neptune Industries, Inc., has also developed a scalable, modular aquaculture technology called Aqua-Sphere™ and Aqua-Cell™ that successfully address the environmental concerns of most aquaculture operations by controlling and recycling all waste products, while insuring the production of the highest quality fish at an affordable price. It also operates Blue Heron Aqua Farms in Florida City, a leading producer of hybrid striped bass, which it markets internationally as Everglades Striped Bass™. The company's current production at its Blue Heron farm, and future production with Aqua-Sphere™ are intended to target the organic market once such certification is available.
Information: Ernest Papadoyianis, Neptune Industries, Inc., 2234 North Federal Highway, #372, Boca Raton, FL 33431-7706 USA (phone 561-482-6408, fax 561-483-7821, email info@neptuneindustries.net).
Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service). Neptune Industries seeks university partnership to develop replacement for fishmeal. Ken Coons. Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com). January 31, 2007.
United States
Illinois--McDonald's Doesn't Want to Threaten the Nation's Shrimp Supply
Dan Coudreaut trained at the Culinary Institute of America. Since 2004, he has been director of culinary innovation at McDonald's test kitchen. Finding products that work inside a McDonald's has been tricky. Coudreaut considered adding a shrimp salad to the menu, but couldn't because, he says, McDonald's would need to use so much shrimp that it threatened to deplete the nation's shrimp supply.
Information: Dan K. Coudreaut, McDonald's Corporation, McDonald's Test Kitchen, Oak Brook, Illinois 60523 USA.
Source: Azcentral. McDonald's chicken snack a hit (http://www.azcentral.com/business/consumer/articles/0130wsj-wrap30-ON.html). Janet Adamy (The Wall Street Journal). January 30, 2007.
United States
South Carolina--Yonges Island Mariculture Farm, LLC
Yonges Island Mariculture, which started as a small, five-acre shrimp farm in 1995, has added a greenhouse nursery system to increase production. The farm encourages farmgate sales. Located a mile and a half southeast of Hollywood, it's open everyday from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Take Highway 165 to Wildson Road, the farm is a half a mile on the right.
Information: Jon Ravenel, Yonges Island Mariculture, LLC (email jravenel1@aol.com).
Source: The website of the United States Marine Shrimp Farming Program (http://www.usmsfp.org). Paula Bender, Editor and Webmaster (pbender@oceanicinstitute.org). Yonges Island Mariculture, LLC. Home Page/Bottom/Center. January 25, 2007.
United States
Texas--Southern Star Changes Name to Arroyo Aqua Farms
My Dear Friends: Our company (Southern Star, Inc.) recently changed its name to "Arroyo Aqua Farms". Please check out our new website at: www.arroyoaquafarms.com.
Information: Daphne Wang or Bing Hung, Arroyo Aqua Farms, 35518 Marshall Hutts Road, Rio Hondo, TX 78583 USA (phone 956-748-2333, mobile 956-266-5495, fax 956-748-3600, email binghung2@aol.com).
Source: Email from Daphne Wang to Shrimp News International. Subject: Company name change notice. From: daphnewang2@aol.com. February 2, 2007.
United States
Washingon, DC--Dumping Reviews
On February 2, 2007, the USA Department of Commerce published a notice in the Federal Register (Volume 72, Number 22, ) saying that any party requesting an administrative review of the shrimp anti-dumping duties must notify DOC by the end of February 2007.
Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service). US Publishes notice for third shrimp anti-dumping administrative review. Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com). February 7, 2007.
