Free News June 8, 2007

Grow Your Own Marine Worms

But Check Seabait’s Patent First

Shrimp maturation facilities feed their broodstock marine worms to stimulate sexual maturation and good egg production. On June 15, 2006, Seabait, Ltd., which farms marine worms in the United Kingdom and the USA (Maine), applied for a patent on a method for farming marine worms. Here are some excerpts from the patent application:

Abstract: The present invention is a method for feeding and farming marine lugworms of the family Arenicolidae, in particular Arenicola marina and A. defodiens.

A. marina lives in J-shaped burrows and feeds by ingesting sand grains, small organisms and possibly algae and bacteria at the head of its burrow. It respires by drawing water from the tail end of the burrow through to the head end. This movement of water may also enrich the sand in the region of the head end where feeding occurs. From time to time the worm moves backwards through the burrow to defecate at the surface. Although A. marina ingests sediment in a nonselective way, selective feeding in the field has been observed in some closely related species and there is indirect evidence for it in A. marina. Small organisms and decaying vegetable matter are its main sources of food, but it also benefits from the direct uptake of nutrients. Some researchers suggested that diatoms are important food items, while others think bacteria form a substantial part of their diet.

To date, the only published reference to the aquaculture of lugworms is “Lugworm Aquaculture” (D’Asaro et al., Report Number 16, State University System of Florida, Sea Grant College Program, September 1976). In this publication, sea grasses are the recommended food for lugworms. The authors tested four sea grasses: turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum), manatee grass (Syringodium filiforme), shoal grass (Diplanthera wrightii) and widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima). A variety of other foodstuffs were also tested, but were not found to be satisfactory. They concluded that the food must be in a form that will gradually decompose and will not contribute to immediate environment degradation, which limited a number of potential feeds. In the regime proposed by the authors, the sea grass was dried, milled to particle size and then mixed with seawater before being sprayed as a slurry onto the rearing area for the worms. Allowing the sea grass to soak in seawater for at least one hour ensured that the slurry sank immediately upon application, forming a layer on the top of the substrate in which the worms had formed their tubes.

We have an improved method of farming lugworms. It involves mixing the feed for the worms with the substrate in which they are grown, usually sand. The feed can be any organic matter, brewers yeast, or an organic slurry of agriculture wastes, best applied to the bed of substrate prior to the introduction of the worms or their larvae. The feed should never be applied to the top of the bed; it should be mixed with the substrate. To aid mixing, the feed should be in particulate or microparticulate form, so that it’s similar in size, or smaller, than the grains of sand in the substrate.

Feed is replenished by adding a new layer of it on the original substrate and then covering it with a new layer of sand. Alternatively a slurry of the feed can be injected under pressure into the substrate.

Any suitable particulate substrate may be used to house the worms. Typically a sandy substrate is suitable, but other substrates with particles of similar size (for example, glass beads) could also be used. Sand is preferred because of its availability and low cost.

Alternatively, a premixed layer of feed and substrate could be added to the original substrate layer, or a layer of feed could be mixed with the upper layers of the initial substrate before the addition of a new layer of sand.

As the worms grow, a new layer of feed could be added to the top of the bed and then covered with a new layer of substrate (typically 4 to 10 cm).

A feed of particular interest is the slurry recovered from fish farms using recirculation systems or the feces or other waste products recovered from fish farms. Also of interest is the bacteria-containing slurry recovered from filters, biofilters and bioreactors. We have found that those slurries typically consist of 80% water and 20% organic matter and can be used directly.

We have found that lugworms are able to accumulate long-chain unsaturated fatty acids from feeds that don’t include long-chain unsaturated fatty acids.

A preferred feed is yeast, especially brewer’s yeast.

Generally, lugworms of five to six grams are commercially useful and can be used for fish bait or for feeding shrimp broodstock. A 0.5-gram lugworm grows to a 5-6 gram size in 90 to 120 days.

Any density of worms can be used. A density of 100 to 300 worms per square meter gives good results, but densities up to 1,000 worms per square meter are possible, depending on the depth of the bed and the quality of the feed.

Arenicola marina and A. defodiens like temperatures from 12 to 20 degrees Celsius. The temperature of the water can be adjusted to regulate the maturation and spawning of lugworms.

Inventors: Peter James William Olive (Whitley Bay, United Kingdom), Stephen Craig (Gosforth Great Park, United Kingdom) and Peter Brian Douglas Cowin (Hampden, Maine, USA). Assignee: Seabait Limited.

Information: Drinker Biddle and Reath, Intellectual Property Group, One Logan Square, 18th and Cherry Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19103-6996 USA.

Sources: 1. Aquafeed.com (The free E-zine for aquafeed professionals, http://www.aquafeed.com). Resources: Patent Round-Up/A Selection of the latest applications for U.S. Patents. Editor, Suzi Fraser Dominy (email editor@aquafeed.com, webpage www.aquafeed.com). Issue-32, Volume-6, September 28, 2006. 2. The webpage of the USA Patent and Trademark Office Website. Aquaculture of Marine Worms (http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220060124063%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20060124063&RS=DN/20060124063). United States Patent Application 20060124063, Code A1, in the name of Peter James William et al., dated June 15, 2006. October 2, 2006.

Country Reports

Australia

Shrimp Farm For Sale

Located on the banks of Crocodile Creek, 30 minutes south of Townsville, in the state of Queensland, this fully working barramundi/shrimp farm has three, one-acre acre ponds and permits for seven more ponds. The farm is also licensed to grow the gold-lipped oysters (Pinctada Maxima).

The property has over 165 acres and includes:

• A large, four-bedroom home

• A separate, three-bedroom quarters

• A four bay carport

• A transportable two-bedroom ‘Campac’ home

• A nursery/hatchery building

• A 75 KVA generator

• A tractor, an excavator and farm bikes

• An eight-bay machinery shed with a processing room, a cold room and a freezer

Information: Ron Moss, Lifestyle Real Estate (phone 07-4780-5551, email info@lifestylere.com.au).

Source: FisheNews (an email supplement to Austasia Aquaculture magazine, www.austasiaaquaculture.com.au). Editor, Tim Walker (austasiaaquaculture@netspace.net.au). Real Estate: Barramundi and Prawn Farm For Sale. May 25, 2007.

Bangladesh

Dana Feed

On April 20, 2007, Dana Feed (Denmark) and Primex Corporation, Ltd. (Bangladesh), signed an agreement granting Primex exclusive distribution rights for Dana’s shrimp feeds in Bangladesh.

Dana Feed, a member of the Provimi Aqua Group, offers larval, postlarval, juvenile and growout feeds under the Larviva brand. This is Dana’s first step into the shrimp feed market in Bangladesh.

Primex Corporation owns Scampi World, Ltd., the biggest freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) hatchery in Bangladesh. Through a sister company, it also offers products to fish and shrimp hatcheries.

Information: Irmgard Lorenzen, Dana Feed A/S, Havnen 13, DK-8700 Horsens, Denmark (phone 45-7561-1200, fax 45-7562-4398, email ilorenzen@danafeed.dk, webpage www.danafeed.dk).

Source: Email to Shrimp News International from Irmgard Lorenzen. Subject: News from Dana Feed: Larviva shrimp feed range launched. May 24, 2007.

India

Crab Farming

The government will launch a big campaign to encourage crab farming in India.

India’s Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) said the country earned $3 million from crab exports in the first seven months of the current fiscal year compared with $2.36 million during the corresponding period in the last fiscal year. Currently, crabs are grown in rivers and estuaries. Among the 16 species of crabs available in the country, only the mud crab (Scylla serreta) has attracted much attention.

Source: The Financial Express. Move to motivate people to adopt crab farming (http://www.financialexpress-bd.com/index3.asp?cnd=5/19/2007&section_id=1&newsid=61576&spcl=no). Sarwar Zahan. May 19, 2007.

India

White Bananas

Penaeus monodon accounts for 99 percent of the farmed shrimp in India. But P. monodon broodstock is become increasing rare in India, and monodon doesn’t tolerate diseases, high salinities and low temperatures as well as some readily available local species. Consequently, six months ago, in the state of Gujarat (northwest coast), India’s Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA), an institute under the Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), started experiments with “white-banana” shrimp farming [most likely P. indicus or P. merguiensis, indigenous species of white shrimp]. CIBA provided the technical expertise, and Onaway Industries Limited (ABG Group) provided the ponds for the trials.

Saji Chacko, general manager of Onaway Industries Limited, said: “The project is a success and we are now doing some further refining with the feed.... So far it is quite economically viable and...can be highly utilized in the export market as well. We are to do more experimentation with the breed...in a 100-hectare area.”

Source: Ahmedabad Newsline. With this shrimp, farmers see good future (http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=238114). Soumik Dey. May 26, 2007.

India

1½-Pound Freshwater Prawn

A 682-gram, freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium spp.) has been harvested from a reservoir in the state of Kerala.

Source: Newindpress.com. Prawn harvest in Malampuzha dam (http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IER20070526031013&Page=R&Title=Kerala&Topic=0). May 26, 2007.

Indonesia

CP Prima....

Located on the island of Sumatra, PT Central Proteinaprima (CP Prima), a large integrated shrimp farm (feed mills, hatcheries, processing plants and containerized shipping) plans to issue a bond valued at $200 million to finance the purchase of PT Dipasena Citra Darmaja, a huge, neighboring shrimp farm. CP Prima has also has secured a loan from Bank Panin worth $99 million to be used as working capital for Dipasena’s 11,000 shrimp farmers. CP Prima exports more than 98 per cent of its farmed shrimp to the United States.

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service). Indonesia’s CP Prima Plans US$200 Mln Bonds Issue, expands working capital for shrimp farms. Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com). June 6, 2007.

Japan

Higashimaru Company Limited

Higashimaru, Co., Ltd., produces feeds for larval and postlarvae penaeid shrimp, including kuruma shrimp (Penaeus japonicus).

Information: Taka Hashimoto, Higashimaru, Co., Ltd., 20 Igakura, Ijuin-cho, Hioki-city, Kagoshima 899-2594, Japan (phone 81-99-273-2538, fax +81-99-273-3863, email t-hashimoto@k-higashimaru.co.jp).

Source: Email from Taka Hashimoto to Shrimp News International on May 27, 2007.

Nicaragua/Honduras

Nicaragua Says No to PLs from Honduras

Honduran press reports say Nicaragua has closed its border to imports of shrimp postlarvae from Honduras because it fears the PLs might be carrying the yellowhead virus. On May 8–10, 2007, Nicaraguan inspectors in Honduras ran lab tests on shrimp larvae from Honduras and the shrimp hatchery feeds from China that some Hondurans use. The Nicaraguan authorities feared that the feed might contain the yellowhead virus.

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service). Nicaragua reported to close its border to Honduran shrimp larvae (translated by Angel Rubio Canas). Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com). May 25, 2007.

United States/Mexico

Arizona—Josh Wilkenfeld, Moving On

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Just wanted to let you know that my two-year contract as Director of Genitech, S.A. de C.V., in Sonora, Mexico, will be completed at the end of June. Sonya and I will be heading back to our home in Yuma, Arizona. We’ll spend some time doing long overdue work on our house, as well as perhaps a little camping, while at the same time considering work options for the future.

It’s been an exciting two years in Mexico; though as often seems to be the case, I did not quite accomplish all that I had hoped to in the allotted time period. Genitech was a good facility when I arrived, and I believe that I leave it an even better one. It now has much improved seawater intake and treatment systems, doubled production efficiency in maturation, biosecurity, and many improvements to key operating procedures. We’ve increased larval survival to 57% (up from 36% and 42% in 2005 and 2006, respectively) with an achievable objective of 60-65% in 2008.

There were some disappointments as well. We established a biosecure indoor broodstock growout program in 2005—broodstock growout, as opposed to a full-fledged genetic development program—using two larval-rearing modules during the dryout off-season. For budgetary reasons, the program was discontinued in 2006 and 2007. I am hopeful that Genitech will eventually take up this process again at a later date.

Although we suffered a setback in 2006 associated with a question of PL quality and the possibility of low TSV and NHP resistance of the 2006 broodstock line we used, this year (2007) promises to be much better in terms of farm results. I will be leaving behind a well-trained and motivated staff that is poised to benefit from opportunities that should open up for Genitech in 2008, assuming continued strong performance of the 2007 PLs in the field. Though the Genitech hatchery was initially conceived and built primarily to meet the PL requirements of its associates, it is ideally situated to supply part of the growing demand for PLs in the Costa de Hermosillo, the most rapidly expanding shrimp culture area in Mexico at this time.

In summary, it’s been a great pleasure to work in Mexico again. The shrimp hatchery industry is much more advanced (and competitive) than in my days with Maritech and Super Shrimp in the mid to late 1990s, and being further south into Sonora this time, I’ve had the opportunity for much more interaction with other hatchery operators, as well as shrimp farmers. From suppliers to producers, everyone I met in Sonora and Sinaloa was very well-versed in the technology and well-informed about the shrimp industry as a whole. There is an ongoing and aggressive effort to learn more and exchange information at every encounter; it’s been a thoroughly enjoyable and educational experience.

And for all of you who worked with me or interacted with me in any way during these last two years in Mexico, I especially want to thank all of you for the warm personal and professional way with which you treated me, and for your patience in dealing with my limited language skills. It’s been great working with and learning from you, and I sincerely hope that we will have other opportunities to meet in Mexico or elsewhere in the not too distant future.

Should anyone wish to contact me, my e-mail address remains the same (josh.wilkenfeld@gmail.com).

Warmest regards, Josh

Source: Email from Josh Wilkenfeld to Shrimp News International. Subject: Moving On. June 4, 2007.

United States

New Jersey—Epicore Third Quarter Results

Epicore BioNetworks, Inc., a public corporation registered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, supplies probiotics and hatchery feeds to shrimp farmers worldwide. Its shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange in Toronto under the symbol EBN. Its business offices are in East Hampton, New Jersey.

In its third quarter report for fiscal year 2007 (covering the company’s business during January, February and March 2007), Epicore reported:

Sales set another quarterly record, 18% above last year’s third quarter ($874,900 versus $743,600). Gross profit increased from $517,700 to $633,800. Expenses at $412,200 were 22% above last year. The Company recorded a net income of $219,600 versus $164,800 in last year’s third quarter for a net income per share of $0.009 versus $0.007 in the prior year.

Historically, the third quarter is the Company’s strongest due to the production cycle of the shrimp farming industry. Sales were strong in all regions with exceptionally large increases in Asia.

In the third quarter, Asian sales were dominated by Indonesia where Epicore’s distributor has been very effective in selling to major shrimp hatcheries. Indonesia adds another southern hemisphere market to Epicore’s portfolio, helping to lessen seasonal variations in sales. With the growth in Asia, Epicore sales are now almost equally split among Ecuador, the rest of Latin America and Asia.

Gross profit increased by $120,000 due to sales volume. Operating expenses were 22% higher than the prior year due to increased marketing costs and an increase in bad debt provision.

Cash at the end of December was $270,000, a 16% increase from the second quarter and an 11% increase from the third quarter of last year.

Information: William Long, Chief Executive Officer, 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: News Release. Epicore BioNetworks. Epicore 2007 Third Quarter Results. May 25, 2007.

United States

Texas—Shrimp Farming Short Course

The 22nd Annual Texas Shrimp Farming Short Course, a five-day course on the latest shrimp farming techniques, will be held in September 2007, at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, Texas. Cost: $300. Participants are responsible for arranging their own meals and housing. First come, first served.

The course will be taught by internationally experienced instructors with commercial, research and extension backgrounds. It will include the following topics:

Pond design and construction

Hatchery design

Maturation and spawning technology

Larval rearing

Nursery techniques

Management alternatives for growout

Inland shrimp farming

Diseases

Processing

Marketing

Shrimp nutrition

Partial harvests

Economics and feasibility analysis

The morning sessions will last from 8:30 a.m. until noon, with ample time for questions and individual attention. There will also be some afternoon lectures when the group is not traveling. Field trips to a commercial processing plant and shrimp farm will provide additional opportunities for hands-on learning.

For More Information: http://texas-sea-grant.tamu.edu/short_course.php.

Information: Granvil Treece, Texas Sea Grant College Program Office, 2700 Earl Rudder Freeway South, Suite 1800, College Station, TX 77845 USA (phone 979-845-7527, fax 979-845-7525, email g-treece@neo.tamu.edu).

Source: Texas Sea Grant Webpage. 22nd Annual Texas Shrimp Farming Short Course (http://texas-sea-grant.tamu.edu/short_course.php). Site visit on May 25, 2007.

United States

Washington State—Ken Talley, Shrimp Market Analysis

In the first quarter of 2007, the United States imported 278.2 million pounds of shrimp (all forms), up 1.3% from last year. In March, the last month of the quarter, however, imports dropped 9.8% from the previous March.

Of the top ten suppliers to the USA market, all but one (Malaysia) saw shipments drop during March. If this trend continues, imports for all of 2007 may fall for the first time in several years.

The cause of the change in the shrimp market is two-fold. First, exporters in Thailand, China, Ecuador, India and Vietnam are struggling with dumping duties and bonds that squeeze margins in a market that, so far, will not allow higher prices. Second, the weakening dollar means USA importers get less for their money.

Source: Seafood Trend Newsletter (independent coverage of the seafood market since 1984, 8227 Ashworth Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98103-4434 USA, phone 206-523-2280, fax 206-526-8719, email seafoodtrend@aol.com). Editor, Ken Talley. May 28, 2007.

Vietnam/United States

Moana Technologies

At “Asian Pacific Aquaculture 2007” (Vietnam, August 5-8, 2007), organized by Vietnam’s Ministry of Fisheries in collaboration with the World Aquaculture Society, Moana Technologies, a producer of Penaeus monodon broodstock that’s headquartered in Hawaii, USA, will introduce its “New Generation of Black Tigers”, kick-start its joint venture with the Government of Vietnam to distribute improved broodstock, and present papers on genetics, diseases and farm biosecurity.

Through its breeding program, Moana will bring sustainability and full traceability to the P. monodon supply chain. The traits that will characterize and differentiate the Moana breeds include absence of specific diseases, hardiness, improved growth rate, lower feed conversion ratios and disease resistance.

Registration: Online at the World Aquaculture Society website (www.was.org) or by contacting: Mrs. Doan Thanh Loan, Research Institute for Aquaculture No.1, Dinh Bang, Tu Son, Bac Ninh,Viet Nam (phone 04-8-273-072, fax 04-8-273-070, email ria1@hn.vnn.vn).

Information: Moana Asia, Ltd., 218/47-48, 4th Floor Geneva Building, Bond Street, Muang Thong, Thani Bangpood, Pakkred, Nonthaburi 11120, Thailand (phone 66-2-961-0207, fax 66-2-961-0208, email aor@moanathai.co.th).

Information: Moana Mekong, Ltd., 3 Ho Ton Duc Thang Street, Ben Nghe Ward District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (phone 84 917-56-57-50, fax 84-8-829-32-53, email linh@moanatecb.com).

Information: John Cooksey, World Aquaculture Conference Management, P.O. Box 2302, Valley Center, CA 92082 USA (phone 760-751-5005, fax 760-751-5003, email worldaqua@aol.com).

Sources: 1. Aqua Culture AsiaPacific (Editor/Publisher, Zuridah Merican, email zuridah@aquaasiapac.com, webpage www.aquaasiapac.com). Asian Pacific Aquaculture 2007/Prospering from Dynamic Growth. Volume 3, Number 3, Page 36, May/June 2007. 2. Network of Aquaculture Centers in Asia-Pacific Webpage. Asian-Pacific Aquaculture 2007, 5-8 August 2007, Vietnam (http://www.enaca.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=979). Posted by Simon Wilkinson. May 23, 2007.

Vietnam

Uni-President

On May 25, 2007, Uni-President Vietnam broke ground on a 3.5-hectare, $1.2 million shrimp hatchery in Ninh Thuan Province (central coast), capable of producing 600 million postlarvae a year.

Source: VietnamNetBridge. Uni-President to breed shrimp in Ninh Thuan (http://english.vietnamnet.vn/biz/2007/05/699304/). May 26, 2007.

Vietnam

Global Aquaculture Alliance

Hanoi...Sao Ta Foods and Viet Hai Seafood have been granted international food safety certificates by the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA), joining six other seafood processing companies in the country that have received GAA’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification. Once certified, businesses are permitted to use the BAP stamp on packaging and in advertisements for their products.

GAA is a nonprofit trade association dedicated to ensuring responsible fish and shellfish farming and conservation of environmental and social resources. The Aquaculture Certification Council licenses GAA’s standards and certifies farms, hatcheries and processing plants.

George Chamberlain, Ph.D., President, Global Aquaculture Alliance, 5661 Telegraph Road, Suite 3A, St. Louis, MO 63129 USA (phone 314-293-5500, fax 314-293-5525, email georgec@gaalliance.org, webpage www.gaalliance.org).

Information: William R. More, Aquaculture Certification Council, Inc., 12815 72nd. Avenue NE, Kirkland, WA 98034 USA (phone 425-825-7935, fax 425-650-3001, cell 206-321-0795, email wrmore@comcast.net, website www.aquaculturecertification.org).

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service). Two more Vietnamese seafood exporters earn Global Aquaculture Alliance certification. Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com). May 25, 2007.