Free News January 26, 2007

Michael says: When the drunken shrimp arrived, in a clear glass bowl, I cautiously tried to remove the cover to take a closer look. The waitress held the lid down, explaining that the shrimp needed to have more time to get drunk and stupid. Then she poured me more beer.

After 5 minutes of mutual intoxication and toasts, the shrimp and I went head to head. Using chopsticks, I pulled out one of the larger shrimp and held it up for the camera. A long shrimp arm slowly reached out and pinched my finger. We laughed. Then I put the little guy on my plate and used my fingers to remove his head. The drunken arms struck out again, from the decapitated head, but slower this time. I then placed the slowly twitching body into my mouth and chewed. Tender and delicious. Soft and sweet. Live meat.

Sources: 1. Belfasttelegraph. Vroom with a view: Exploring Thailand by scooter (http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/features/travel/article2158051.ece). Jack Barker. January 16, 2007. 2. Weird Meat. Shanghai Drunken Shrimp (http://www.weirdmeat.com/2006/02/shanghai-drunken-shrimp.html). February 26, 2007.

Country Reports

Australia

New Import Regulations and Prices

Hope Kearney, with a seafood store in Sydney, thinks Biosecurity Australia's proposed regulations on shrimp imports could lead to a 75 percent drop in the quantity of shrimp imported into Australia. She says imported shrimp are crucial because the local aquaculture industry cannot supply Australia's needs. Kearney says shrimp could reach $79-$94 per kilo. The Seafood Importers Association thinks prices could reach $55-$80 per kilo. On the other hand, the man behind Illawarra's largest wholesale seafood business, Mr. Musumeci, thinks these figures are wide of the mark. He says, "If you've got to pay $1,966 to $2,360 for testing a 7.5-ton container, it's going to add to the cost, but it's not going to stop anyone. People might end up paying $0.80 a kilo more...."

Source: FisheNews (an email supplement to Austasia Aquaculture magazine, www.austasiaaquaculture.com.au). Editor, Tim Walker (austasiaaquaculture@netspace.net.au). Mixed Views on the Effects of New Prawn Regulations. January 12, 2007.

Australia

Three Rock Lobsters

The Rock Lobster Enhancement and Aquaculture Program within Australia's Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) laid the foundation for lobster farming in the country. Now, commercial projects with three rock lobster species are underway.

The MG Kailis Group has produced juveniles of the tropical rock lobster Panulirus ornatus at its hatchery in Exmouth, Western Australia. Managing Director Alex Kailis described the breakthrough as a fantastic achievement that would enable the MG Kailis Group to explore a commercialization strategy. The group's Aquaculture Development Manager, Roger Barnard, said the breakthrough came through "dedication, hard work and expert assistance from our FRDC project partners: the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, and the Australian Institute of Marine Science."

The southern rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii) has been laboratory-cultured by the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute in Hobart, Tasmania.

Production of the western rock lobster (Panulirus cygnus) has concentrated on growing juveniles sourced from sustainable wild stocks.

Information: Alex Kailis (phone 61-8-9239-9239).

Information: Greg Hart, MG Kailis Group, Exmouth Boat Harbour, Exmouth, WA 670761, Australia (phone 61-8-9239-9212, fax 61-8-9239-9204, email greghart@kailis.com.au, webpage http://www.kailis.com.au/index.html).

Source: Fisheries R&D News (www.frdc.com.au, Australian Government). Kailis' babies make three. Volume 14, Number 4, Page 2, November 2006.

Belize

Nova Sale

The assets of Nova Companies (Belize), Ltd., the largest vertically integrated shrimp farm in Belize, and Ambergris Aquaculture, Ltd., its hatchery, are for sale. Robert Garcia (below), a retired general who ran the Novelo's Bus Company during its period in receivership, has taken over day to day operations at Nova and is attempting to find new investors or a buyer.

If you have Google Earth (free, but you must download it from Google's website) installed on your computer, you can view the farm at latitude 17°, 35', 25.52" N; longitude 88°, 18', 24.78"W.

Nova Companies (Belize) is a located in Ladyville, about 13 miles north of Belize City. The site (approximately 5,000 acres) has approximately 2,200 acres of semi-intensive ponds divided into about 100 individual ponds ranging from 5-30 acres and averaging 25 acres. It has a 38,000-square-foot processing plant with a freezer and generator, and there's an office building, feed storage building, workshops, a laboratory/conference/training building, supervisor's quarters, worker's quarters and residences for two managers.

Ambergris Aquaculture, Ltd., the hatchery, is located on approximately 9 acres of land on Ambergris Cay. It has numerous buildings with a total area of about 65,000 square feet, a generator and a worker's dormitory.

In 1998, The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO) provided a $9.5 million loan to the company to help it expand operations. In 2006, the company, FMO and IFC made extensive efforts to revitalize the company. The company suspended operations in early January 2007. IFC and FMO expect the shrimp farm to emerge from receivership as a sustainable business without any debt.

Information: Robert Garcia (office phone 501-225-2820, cell phone 501-621-5133, email rsgarcia@novashrimpfarmforsale.com, webpage www.novashrimpfarmforsale.com).

Source: Email to Shrimp News International from Frank Kobayashi, Principal Special Operations Officer, International Finance Corporation (email fkobayashi@ifc.org, phone 202-458-8856). Aquaculture Assets in Belize for Sale. January 24, 2007.

India

Freshwater Prawns

In 2004-2005, prawn farmers produced 38,720 metric tons of Macrobrachium rosenbergii, called "scampi" in India, from 36,990 hectares of ponds. Average annual production was 1.05 metric tons per hectare. The state of Andhra Pradesh (east coast) accounted for about 75% of the production area and 90% of the crop, followed by West Bengal, which produced 8.2% of the crop from 2,435 hectares of ponds.

In 2004-2005, India exported 9,400 tons of prawns valued at $84 million, 16% lower than the all-time peak of 11,154 tons during the 2003-2004 period. Domestic markets have increased over the last three years and currently consume almost 50% of production.

In 2003-04, over 92% of production was exported headless, shell-on, with additional exports of block frozen and individually quick-frozen (IQF) forms. The United States, Belgium, United Kingdom, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Germany, Mauritius, Malaysia, Japan, and Indonesia are the major buyers of Indian scampi.

Mixed farming of males and females has given way to farming males only, with at least two cull harvests before the final harvest. Farmers stock 20,000-25,000 juveniles per hectare over an eight-month growout period. Farm yields range from 500 to 1,500 kilograms per hectare. With all-male culture, growth rates increase, feed conversions improve and the growout period can be reduced. Only 5% of animals are considered runts, compared to 15% in mixed-sex culture.

Stocked at 250,000 juveniles per hectare, nursery ponds have survival rates of 70-80% after 45-60 days. To increase survivals, farmers put folded coconut leaves in the ponds as hideouts. Skilled laborers "sex" (separate) the male and female juveniles, transferring the males to growout ponds and selling the females or stocking them separately. All-female farming looks promising.

Feed conversion ratios are 1.8 to 2.0:1 for mixed culture and 1.2:1 for all-male culture. Farmers in Andhra Pradesh have traditionally used commercial, pelletized feed produced by seven major manufacturers. About 25-30% of the farmers in the area use home-made feeds that incorporate locally available ingredients. They develop the formulas based on trial and error during one or two crops, then contract with local feed mills to manufacture the feed. Locally made feeds cost around $335 a ton, while commercial brands cost $580 to $710 a ton. Because results from local feeds are highly variable, commercial brands dominate the market.

Based on techniques developed by researchers at the College of Fisheries in Kochi during the early 1990s, successful commercial production of scampi seed began in 1999. Currently there are 71 hatcheries in India, 43 of them in Andhra Pradesh and the rest mainly in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal. Installed production capacity is about 1.8 billion postlarvae a year, although the actual output is significantly lower than that. Many hatcheries are built with an initial investment ranging from $100,000 to $200,000, and, depending on market conditions, may also produce marine shrimp seedstock. Seed prices fluctuate wildly, influenced more by competing hatcheries than by supply and demand. The price per 1,000 postlarvae went from an all-time high of about $30 in late 2000, to $12 from 2001 to mid-2003, to below $4 in 2004, then up again to the current levels of $5-7/1,000. Postlarvae from wild broodstock captured in Kerala command a higher price, $8-9/1,000.

Compared to marine shrimp broodstock, prawn broodstock is reasonably priced at $60 for 100, 40-50-gram animals. Berried females over 100 grams from the Vembanad Lake along Kerala's coast go for $300 for 100 because they are thought to be disease free.

Domesticated stocks at commercial farms have been inbred for several generations and exhibit a general decline in productivity involving early sexual maturity, susceptibility to diseases and low fecundity and larval viability. There appears to be distinct genetic diversity among the native stocks of Macrobrachium species in the rivers of central Kerala, Orissa, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. Research is under way at the state agricultural universities and central Aquaculture Research Institute on genetic diversity, selective breeding, disease resistance, stock improvement, and hybridization of different prawn strains and species.

Source: The Global Aquaculture Advocate (http://www.gaalliance.org). Editor, Darryl Jory (dejry2525@aol.com). Freshwater Prawn Farming in India—Status, Prospects. Dr. C. Mohanakumaran Nair (Department of Aquaculture, College of Fisheries Kerala Agricultural University, Panangad, Kochi 682 506, Kerala, India, email naircm@hotmall.com) and Dr. K.R. Salin (KVK, Regional Agricultural Research Station, Kerala Agricultural University, Kerala, India). Volume 9, Issue 6, Page 34, November/December 2006.

The Netherlands

Wanted: Ph.D.

The Van Vollenhoven Institute for Law and Administration in Non-Western Countries at Leiden University is looking for a Ph.D. candidate for a research project in the Mahakam Delta of East Kalimantan, Indonesia. The research will concentrate on property rights and conflicts among fishermen, lumbermen and shrimp farmers. A good command of English writing is essential. Information: Dr. Jaap Timmer, Van Vollenhoven Institute, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9520, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands (email j.timmer@law.leidenuniv.nl).

Background: French oil giant Total dominates the business community in the immense Mahakam Delta, where it extracts natural gas. A study financed by Total shows that shrimp farmers have caused an ecological disaster in the Delta. More than 800 square kilometers (300 square miles) of mangroves have been converted into shrimp ponds, resulting in water pollution, salinization and the general degradation of the environment.

During the 1997/1998, Asian financial crisis, the Indonesian rupiah plunged to a quarter of its value, so shrimp farms, which export for dollars, suddenly became very profitable. Shrimp farmers and thousands of workers from Java and Sulawesi moved into the Mahakam Delta and developed shrimp farms. "Since the economic crisis of 1997/1998, people have been cutting all the mangrove, opening new shrimp ponds, without any restrictions or law enforcement," said Muhammad Najib, in charge of environmental problems for Total.

"The productivity of shrimp farming has fallen because of the damage caused to the natural environment," said Bahteramsyah, environmental official for the Kutai Kartanegara district. He estimates only 20 percent of the original mangrove swamp remains. Total's activities in the Delta have nothing to do with this looming disaster but the oil giant fears it will bear the brunt of the social consequences because of its high profile in the region.

Total president director Philippe Armand says, "We fear that we will be totally wrongly accused of being the source of the problem." Total has decided to take the initiative and has earmarked two million dollars over five years to promote sustainable management of the Mahakam Delta.

The company has replanted more than three million mangrove seedlings, organized a symposium on the risks posed by shrimp farming, and is training the villagers in more environmentally friendly methods of shrimp farming.

If you have Google Earth (a free download from Google), you can view the farms at latitude 0°45'57.66"S; longitude 117°26'13.75"E.

Sources: 1. Rumah Beasiswa Indonesia. [Netherlands] Ph.D. Position on Conflict of Interest Between Stakeholders East Kalimantan (http://www.rumahbeasiswa.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=779). January 17, 2007. 2. BruneiDirect.com. Tiny Shrimps Causing Big Problems (http://www.brudirect.com/DailyInfo/News/Archive/Dec06/261206/nite02.htm). December 26, 2006.

Thailand

Organic Shrimp

The National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards (ACFS) is expediting the development of standards for organic shrimp farming and expects to have a draft of the standards ready by February 2007. Somchai Charnarongkul, deputy director of ACFS, says farmers, academics, shrimp experts and the government participated in the development of the standards.

Source: ThaisNews.com. ACFS expedites drafting of "Organic Marine Shrimp Production" standards (http://www.thaisnews.com/news_detail.php?newsid=202406). January 15, 2007.

United States

Texas—Statistics and Map

Estimate Farm-Raised Shrimp Production in Texas in 2006*
Farm	Postlarvae Stocked	Animals Harvested	Pounds Harvested	Survival Percent	Acres Stocked
Arroyo AquacultureAssociation (many owners)	43,400,000	15,969,386	702,229	38.80	185
Auswell Aqua Farm	17,216,116	7,199,470	348,873	41.82	84
Bowers Shrimp Farm	30,000,000	19,000,000	718,000	63.33	145
Bowers Valley Shrimp , Inc.	61,000,000	29,873,500	1,375,000	48.97	460
Harlingen Shrimp Farm	21,000,000	8,000,000	370,000	38.10	346
Junior Aquaculture Farm	18,000,000	8,424,000	312,000	46.80	72
Mengers & Sons Farm			70		0.1
Permian Sea Organics (estimate from 2005)**	1,000,000	700,000	20,000	70.00	20
Southern Star, Inc.	11,500,000	5,103,005	224,802	44.37	55
St. Martin's Seafood	51,400,000	21,851,292	890,673	42.51	220
TAES Flour Bluff (Bait Shrimp R&D)	945,000	320,000	7,000	33.86	2
Texas Seabreeze Shrimp Co.	2,400,000	1,003,579	42,000	41.82	12
Totals	257,861,116	117,444,232	5,010,647	45.55	1,601
* Source of Data: Dr. Ya-Sheng Juan, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Brownsville, Texas
** Permian Sea Organics' 2006 production could not be obtained, estimate not confirmed.