Free News July 13, 2007

Malaysia

SPF Monodon

Malaysia’s Department of Fisheries (DOF) has embarked on an ambitious program to increase annual shrimp production to 180,000 tons a year by 2010. To produce at those levels, the country will require 100,000 broodstock and ten billion postlarvae a year. Presently, shrimp hatcheries in Malaysia are wholly dependant on wild Penaeus monodon broodstock for postlarvae production. Close to 70% of the wild broodstock is either infected or carries one or more of the pathogenic viruses. Stringent disease screening is required to separate the 30% that are clean and healthy, and only 50% of them survive.

P. monodon shrimp throughout the Asia Pacific region are infected with multiple viral diseases. Malaysian farmers have experienced White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV), Monodon Baculovirus (MBV) and Yellow Head Virus (YHV) outbreaks since 1999. Having faced heavy economic losses due to slow growth and epidemic mortality, many shrimp farmers have shifted from monodon to vannamei.

In 2001, Black Tiger Aquaculture, a shrimp farm in Johor, in collaboration with DOF, initiated the development of specific pathogen free (SPF) broodstock. It started with locally available wild monodon broodstock. In October 2003, however, due to several unsuccessful attempts to obtain sufficient numbers of clean broodstock and the high cost of viral screening, Malaysia began importing SPF monodon broodstock from abroad.

Every batch of imported broodstock was quarantined, monitored and screened for WSSV, YHV, GAV and TSV on three different occasions at intervals of two weeks. Screening for MBV and HPV was done five times during the same period. Shrimp showing any of the viruses were destroyed. Shrimp from the original broodstock are now in the third generation. They remain free of WSSV, MBV, HPV, YHV, GAV and TSV. To date, none of the farms using the third generation postlarvae has reported a viral outbreak.

In growout trials, the new stocks:

• Reduced the growout period to produce a 25-gram animal from 135 days to 116 days

• Increased survivals from 63% to 66%

• Lowered the food conversion ratio from 1.89 to 1.7

• Showed little size variation at harvest

Wild broodstock usually don’t spawn more than a few times, but some of the SPF broodstock spawned up to ten times. The number of nauplii per spawn has stabilized at around 200,000. The second generation took 11 to 12 months to reach sexual maturity; the third generation took only 9 to 11 months.

The uropods of the captive stocks are reddish, while those of the wild stocks are bluish; and the captive stocks have white pleopods, while the local stocks have yellow pleopods. The captive stocks have a better head to thorax ration than the local stocks, indicating that the meat yield will also be greater. When cooked, third generation shrimp harvested from commercial farms exhibited an even, reddish color, compared to the dark bands in local stocks.

Authors: K. Subramaniam (Senior Researcher with DOF Malaysia since 1978. He currently heads the Brackishwater Aquaculture Research Centre, Gelang Patah, Johor, Malaysia, and coordinates the SPF Breeding Program on behalf of DOE, email suballi@tm.net.my); Randall L. Aungst (Managing Director and one of the founders of Black Tiger Aquaculture. It was his initiative and directive that inspired the SPF Breeding Program); Nancy ES Tan-Wong (Head of the SPF Selective Breeding Center at Black Tiger).

Source: AquaCulture Asia Pacific (Editor/Publisher, Zuridah Merican, email zuridah@aquaasiapac.com, webpage www.aquaasiapac.com). Pioneering a commercial production of SPF black tiger shrimp. K. Subramaniam, Randall L. Aungst and Nancy ES TanWong. Volume 2, Number 6, Page 28, November/December 2006.

Country Reports

Australia

Wanted: Artemia Farmers

Expressions of interest are being sought in establishing an Artemia aquaculture facility on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. Plenty of flat-land sites are available near the ocean. Buy or lease. For more information call Neil at 08-8985-2778 or 0409-003-700 or email aoneplumbing@internode.on.net.

Source: FisheNews (an email supplement to Austasia Aquaculture magazine, www.austasiaaquaculture.com.au). Editor, Tim Walker (austasiaaquaculture@netspace.net.au). Advertisement. Expressions of Interest. July 4, 2007.

China

GAA Supports the Detention of Chinese Shrimp

The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA), an organization dedicated to the sustainable development of world aquaculture, supports the recent decision by the USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to protect American consumers by detaining several farmed seafood products imported from China and calls for a more systematic approach to ensuring the safety of seafood imports in the future.

“GAA recommends inspecting farmed seafood at its point of origin and throughout the production process, rather than only testing the end product at the port of entry,” said Wally Stevens, GAA executive director. “GAA now has in place some of the most stringent standards in the world,” he said. Known as “Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP),” the standards promote prevention, not detention. Stevens noted that the Global Aquaculture Alliance has discussed the BAP program at several meetings with FDA and “welcomes further collaboration to apply BAP certification as a mechanism in assuring the safety of seafood entering the United States.”

“While FDA has a mandate to protect American consumers by assuring the safety of the food supply, its resources are sufficient for testing chemical residues in only 1 to 2 percent of most incoming food at ports of entry,” Stevens said.

BAP certification is based on intensive inspections at the facilities that breed, raise and process seafood—before they ever reach the United States. Best practices are verified at each processing plant through mandatory testing for banned chemical residues and other substances.

In addition to food safety, GAA’s international certification standards promote environmental sustainability and social responsibility within the global aquaculture industry. These BAP standards are currently being applied through the independent certification of hatcheries, farms, and processing plants for shrimp. Additional standards are under development for finfish, Stevens said.

Leading USA companies, like Wal-Mart and Darden Restaurants, have adopted BAP certification. Other major international businesses are also considering the program.

Information: Wally Stevens, Executive Director, Global Aquaculture Alliance (phone 617-571-9717, email wallys@gaalliance.org).

Source: Email to Shrimp News International from the Global Aquaculture Alliance. Press release. Global Aquaculture Alliance Supports USFDA Detention of Chinese Seafood, Emphasizes Need for ‘Prevention, Not Detention’. June 29, 2007.

China

Update on Detained Shrimp

On July 1, 2007, Andrew C. von Eschenbach, USA Commissioner for Food and Drugs, told Reuters, an international news service, that the ban on Chinese farmed shrimp would remain in place for “the short term”. “This is a short-term solution to what has been a long-term problem and it needs to be sorted out once and for all. The Chinese authorities have told us they are working hard to do just that.”

The European Union has no plans to ban imports of Chinese shrimp, but will increase its monitoring of Chinese shrimp.

Source: ABC News. EU says no plans to ban Chinese seafood (http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/WireStory?id=3342038&page=1). Darren Ennis. July 3, 2007.

Ecuador

Best Month Ever

In May 2007, Ecuadorian shrimp exports reached a new monthly high of 25 million pounds, worth $51 million. Ecuadorian exports of farmed shrimp have been increasing for the last several years as the industry recovers from the whitespot epidemic of the early 2000s. In 2006, for example, exports increased 24% over 2005 and brought in $597.6 million.

The USA continues to be the main destination for Ecuadorian shrimp. During the first quarter of 2007, 62% of all exports went to the USA. In the first quarter of 2007, sales amounted to $192 million. During the first week of June 2007, the USA Department of Commerce announced that Ecuadorian shrimp would be able to enter the USA tariff-free. The decision will be ratified before August 20, 2007.

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service). Ecuador reports highest value shrimp exports ever in May, U.S. is major destination (Translated by Angel Rubio Canas in Guayaquil, Ecuador). Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com). June 29, 2007.

India

Human Urine Produces Robust Plankton

Plankton grown in diluted human urine do better than those given other nitrogen-rich materials. Bara Bihari Jana and his colleagues at the University of Kalyani in India mixed groundwater with human urine from the university’s urinals and then added the zooplankton Moina micrura, a small crustacean similar to the freshwater water flea, Daphnia. M. micrura is often fed at fish hatcheries.

They also tried rearing micrura in various cocktails of cow urine, vermin compost, poultry droppings and cow dung, all of which are commonly used in fish farming in poor regions where chemical fertilizers are not available. All treatments used half a liter of urine, or half a kilo of dung, to every 4,500 liters of water.

Micrura in human urine began reproducing at least four days earlier than those in other tanks, lived longer and produced more offspring. The study is published in the journal Ecological Engineering.

“Human urine is a stable liquid and contains valuable nutrients. I see no reason why it couldn’t be used for this purpose if it provides a suitable chemical environment for the zooplankton to grow,” says Stephen Smith, an environmental biochemist at Imperial College London.

Human urine is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than chemical fertilizers. “New and alternative uses for wastes and wastewater like this need to be identified,” says Smith. “My only potential concern would be that the urine is from healthy individuals not taking medication or antibiotics as these could be excreted in the urine.”

“We have not yet encountered any diseases or abnormalities in the zooplankton grown in tanks with human urine, but we are looking for hormone residues and antibiotics, just to be sure,” says Jana.

Source: GROWfish (Gippsland Aquaculture Industry Network, Inc., http://www.growfish.com.au/default.asp). GROWfish eNewsletter (subscribehtml@growfish.com.au). Urine grows better fish food fisheries (http://www.growfish.com.au/content.asp?contentid=9551). June 30, 2007.

Mexico

Ocean Garden Products Names New President and CEO

During the last week of June 2007, Ocean Garden Products, headquartered in San Diego, California, USA, a leading importer and marketer of farmed and wild Mexican shrimp, named Javier Corella as President and CEO. Corella joins the company from the Mazon Group, one of five large shrimp farming companies that own Ocean Garden.

“Javier is one of our very best from the Mazon Group and brings with him an incredible amount of general management and Mexican shrimp industry experience,” said Sergio Mazon, chairman of Ocean Garden’s board. “We are very pleased with Ocean Garden’s 2007 performance and look forward to continuing this positive trend with Javier as Ocean Garden’s new President and CEO.”

Reporting to Corella will be John Filose, VP of sales and marketing, and Frank Barrancotto, chief financial officer, both based in San Diego, and Rodrigo de la Serna, VP of operations in Mexico.

Information: Ocean Garden Products, Inc., 3585 Corporate Court, San Diego, CA 92123 USA (phone 858-571-5002, fax 858-277-6228, webpage www.oceangarden.com).

Source: Seafood Currents (an online newsletter from Seafood Business, www.seafoodbusiness.com). Corella named CEO of Ocean Garden (http://divcom-seafood.informz.net/admin31/content/template.asp?sid=3424&ptid=133&brandid=3138&uid=752859429&mi=155739). July 2, 2007.

Thailand/Japan

Thailand Wants to Increase Shrimp Shipments to Japan

Thailand should halve its shrimp exports to the USA and increase shipments to Japan, Russia, Canada and the Middle East, says a high-ranking fisheries official in the Thai government. Currently, 60% of Thailand’s shrimp exports go to the USA. The official argued that it was dangerous to be so dependant on one market.

When the Japan-Thai Free Trade Agreement takes effect in October 2007, the 5% import tariff on Thai frozen shrimp and processed shrimp products will be abolished, giving Thailand a better return on its products.

Thai fisheries authorities are encouraging Japan to decrease the inspection period on imported products (currently 15-20 days) and increase the issuance of certificates that would allow shrimp into the country without enduring a long inspection period. Currently, there are 280 processors in Thailand, and only 13 have obtained certificates from Japan.

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service). Thailand should cut its shrimp exports to U.S. by 50%, build up shipments to Japan and Russia. Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com). June 28, 2007.

United States

Florida—Money for Aquaculture Investment

AquaSol, Inc., is currently providing exclusive representation and investment advisory services to a client that is seeking investment opportunities in the aquaculture industry. The client is a highly qualified investor with a net worth in excess of a billion dollars. The investor has no existing investments in the aquaculture industry at this time.

Minimum requirements are as follows:

1. The company’s principal line of business must be in aquaculture, fish feed manufacture, aquaculture equipment manufacturing, seafood processing or seafood marketing and distribution. Any other type of company that provides support to the aquaculture industry will be considered.

2. The company must have annual revenues of no less than one million dollars. Exception to this rule will be made for non operational assets or distressed assets. Preference will be given to companies that are currently profitable.

3. The company must be able to demonstrate that it is currently using or preparing to implement environmentally and socially sustainable practices.

4. There are no restrictions on location of operations, although preference will be given to companies operating in countries with a high degree of political and economic stability.

5. Plans to convert or diversify into the culture of other aquaculture species are of particular interest.

Interested parties are encouraged to submit a brief statement of interest.

All information will be held in strict confidence. A mutual nondisclosure agreement is available.

Information: Tom Frese, President, AquaSol, Inc., Miami, Florida, USA (phone 305-662-7134, fax 305-662-7139, email tfrese@fishfarming.com, website www.fishfarming.com).

Source: The Shrimp List (a mailing list for shrimp farmers, “shrimp-subscribe@yahoogroups.com”). Subject: [shrimp] Expression of Interest in Aquaculture Investment Opportunities. From: Tjffarms@aol.com. July 1, 2007.

United States

Hawaii—To Benefit from Detention of Chinese Shrimp

Brian Goldstein, the chief executive officer of Kona Bay Marine Resources, said his company is the largest foreign supplier of disease-resistant broodstock to China. He thinks the USA ban on Chinese shrimp will be good for his business. “That will create additional demand for us,” he said. “The Chinese (and other shrimp farming countries) will realize that we can’t just throw chemicals into the ponds. We’ve got to have disease-resistant shrimp and that starts with broodstock.”

Goldstein’s company produces specific pathogen free (SPF) shrimp broodstock at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii on the big island of Hawaii and at a farm on the island of Kauai.

The Oceanic Institute, with facilities on the Big Island of Hawaii and the island of Oahu, developed the SPF broodstock and techniques to raise shrimp without the use of antibiotics and antifungal additives. It sees potential opportunities to export its technology. “The global shrimp aquaculture industry loses billions of dollars a year because of disease,” said Shaun Moss, the director of shrimp development at the Oceanic Institute. “The protocols we’ve developed here at the institute for shrimp would serve the industry well.” This week, the OI is harvesting a record crop of 9,000 pounds of shrimp produced in a 0.08-acre pond (less than the size of a basketball court) using what Moss called a “biosecure shrimp farm environment” that minimizes the chance of disease.

Moss visited a shrimp farm in Guangdong Province in southern China in early June 2007. The farm he visited uses technology to eliminate the need for additives. “They have their act together,” he said. On a visit to Vietnam, however, Moss said he saw towns with pharmacies specifically for shrimp farming.

Hilo Fish Co., on the Big Island of Hawaii, an importer and distributor of seafood, is working with its supplier in China to resume shrimp shipments to the USA. The FDA detention was expected, said Sabrina Vaughn, purchasing manager for Hilo Fish Co, whose supplier in China has been working with the FDA to make sure its products are tested and free of contaminants. Vaughn said, “It (the FDA action) will weed out the bad seeds.” Once shipments resume, however, it’s uncertain how consumers will react.

Information: Brian Goldstein, CEO, Kona Bay Marine Resources, 3465 Waialae Avenue, Suite 240, Honolulu, HI 96816 USA (phone 877-526-2746, fax 808-356-0203, email brian@konabaymarine.com, webpage http://www.konabaymarine.com/contactus.html).

Information: Shaun Moss, Ph.D., Director, Shrimp Department, The Oceanic Institute, 41-202 Kalanianaole Highway, Waimanalo, HI 96795 USA (phone 808-259-3310, fax 808-259-9762, email smoss@oceanicinstitute.org, webpage www.oceanicinstitute.org).

Source: Star Bulletin. Local firms can see positives to blocking Chinese seafood (http://starbulletin.com/2007/06/29/news/story04.html). Craig Gima (cgima@starbulletin.com). June 29, 2007.

United States

Virginia—The Crustacean Society

Dear TCS Members (from Dr. Jeffrey D. Shields, President of The Crustacean Society):

We are delighted to announce the launch of the new TCS Business Office website at http://tcs.allenmm.com. The new site adds convenience to your TCS membership and also helps reduce our costs.

Here’s a list of our services:

Online Renewals: You can now renew your subscription online using your credit card. New members can also register here, so please encourage your colleagues to become members.

Membership Directory: Looking for the address of a TCS colleague? The online membership directory makes it easy. Conduct searches using a variety of criteria, including name (first or last), city, state, zip and country. You can also update your address online; in fact, we encourage you to check your contact information now and update it regularly as needed.

Online Purchases: You can also purchase issues of the Journal of Crustacean Biology online. Click the “Products” button and view a list of our entire back catalog in an instant. Purchase back issues or make a donation by using your credit card. Nonmembers can also use this service.

Ballots: Haven’t voted in a TCS election? Wondering where you placed the ballot? Wonder no more! The “ballots and surveys” link on the Business Office website provides you with the option of submitting your vote online. The Society will continue to provide communication services through the postal service as necessary; however, we encourage as many members as possible with email addresses to use the online service and maintain their membership contact information.

Links: The new Business Office website offers a variety of links, including those for manuscript submissions and the Society’s home page (http://www.vims.edu/tcs/).

Newsletter: Very soon our newsletter, The Ecdysiast, will migrate to the Business Office website. There it will be available to all members of the Society.

The TCS Business Office web address is http://tcs.allenmm.com. Technical Assistance: Scott Starr at sstarr@allenpress.com.

Information: Dr. Jeffrey D. Shields (Associate Professor and President of The Crustacean Society), Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, VA 23062 USA (email jeff@vims.edu, webpages http://www.vims.edu/~jeff and http://www.vims.edu/tcs).

Source: The Crust-L Mailing list. Subject: [CRUST-L:1713] Announcing the Crustacean Society’s new Online Services. From: Dr. Jeffrey D. Shields (jeff@vims.edu). June 28, 2007. Information: The Crust-L list is an email-based mailing list for crustacean scientists. Subscribing to and unsubscribing from Crust-L are easy. To subscribe, send an email to LISTPROC@VIMS.EDU. In the body of the email, put SUBSCRIBE CRUST-L, followed by your first and last names (not your email address). To unsubscribe, send an email to: LISTPROC@VIMS.EDU. In the body of the email, put UNSUBSCRIBE CRUST-L. To post a message to the list send an email to CRUST-L@VIMS.EDU. You must subscribe before sending your first message.

Vietnam

Wants to Import Shrimp for Processing

Vietnam’s exports of aquatic products have increased sharply over the last few years, but domestic processing plants are operating at only 30-50 percent of capacity due to a lack of raw materials. The Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors said it has approached the government for permission to import shrimp from abroad for processing in Vietnam.

Source: Vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn. Cash crops, wood products exports rise (http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=03BUS300607). June 30, 2007.