Free News March 9, 2007

On Sunday, February 25, 2007, at approximately 10:00 a.m., a fire broke out at Zeigler's fish and shrimp feed mill in Gardners, Pennsylvania, USA, one of three mills that Zeigler operates in the area. At 10:30 a.m., firefighters from five counties began battling the fire. They gained control after an hour and a half and claimed victory at 5:00 p.m., only to be called back twice Sunday night to put out hot spots. About 200 firefighters using 50 pieces of fire-fighting equipment responded to the fire.

At 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, Tom Zeigler (president), Tim Zeigler (Tom's son and vice president of sales and marketing), and Cheryl Shew (global shrimp sales specialist), learned about the fire when they landing in San Antonio, Texas, USA, to attend "Aquaculture 2007".

In Pennsylvania, Matt Zeigler (Tom's other son and vice president of operations) took charge of the clean up and rescheduling of feed shipments until the Zeigler team returned from Texas.

Background

In business since 1935, Zeigler makes feeds for pet owners, zoos, aquariums, hatcheries, fish farms and shrimp farms. It exports shrimp feeds to 32 countries (35% of its total business) and is the only feed company with a complete line of shrimp feeds. It makes shrimp maturation feeds, hatchery feeds, acclimation feeds, and extensive, semi-intensive, intensive and super-intensive growout feeds. It also produces an organic shrimp feed. Zeigler was the first company to market prepared larval feeds as a replacement for brine shrimp. Its new "V-Generation" feeds focus on feeds for the 21^st Century.

Tom Zeigler, president of Zeigler Bros., Inc., has been in the feed business for over forty-five years, during which time he has consistently supported aquaculture on the state, national and international levels, and he plays an active role in aquaculture organizations and associations, participates in aquaculture trade shows and advertises in industry publications.

In 1967, Tom changed the focus of the company from chicken and livestock feeds to zoo feeds and aquaculture feeds. The mills in nearby East Berlin produce specialty feeds for pets, zoos and lab animals. They make flake diets, larval diets, research diets and medicated feeds. One of them has an extruder mill and pellet mill that can make shrimp feeds.

The Fire

The fire was still smoldering on Monday afternoon, February 26. Because the steel-and-wood building collapsed during the fire, some hot spots were unreachable, said Aspers Fire Company Chief Donnie Haines. "We're going to let those areas burn," he said. "The fire won't spread to anything else. We'll put out the hot spots (as the company discovers them). Pretty much of the structure that was burning is gone, and what's left is pallet fires."

On Friday, March 2, while the fire continued to smolder, equipment was brought in to haul the debris away. During the previous five days, firefighters were called back a half dozen times to handle flare-ups, said Lewis Alexander, Captain of the Aspers Fire Company. "There are literally tons and tons of debris lying on top of the source of the combustion," he said. "We...can't get at it with our hoses."

Insurance investigators will determine the building's value and the cause of the fire, which may have started in the basement, where fish and shrimp feeds get milled and bagged. It eventually consumed a three-story section of the mill, but didn't spread to the other parts of the mill--or elsewhere. An attached feed warehouse--where the shrimp feed is stored--was saved. According to Caycey Jones, a former human relations department worker at Zeigler and currently a consultant with the company, said Sunday's fire wasn't Zeigler's first. There was a "devastating" fire in 1961 that started in a feed elevator, she said, and a smaller fire in 2002.

About 20 of the Zeigler's 55 employees worked in the basement production area where the fire may have started. Bryan Kapp, the company's director of finance, said he doesn't expect any layoffs. "Right now we need a lot of hands to help." He said the company has two other mills in nearby East Berlin, Pennsylvania, that are not fully staffed. "We'll be shifting some people," he said.

Tim Zeigler Reports

On Saturday, March 3, 2007, Tim Zeigler, posted the following press release to Zeigler's webpage:

"Zeigler Bros. has experienced a serious plant fire in one of its three manufacturing facilities in Pennsylvania. Fortunately, no one was injured, and office and product warehouse buildings were not damaged. The cause of the fire is unknown and an investigation is currently underway.

The safety of employees and the feed requirements of customers have been our foremost priorities. Efforts were made by our staff to contact customers and suppliers being immediately affected by the fire in order to provide satisfactory arrangements.

Our ability to manufacture feeds will continue through the utilization of manufacturing capabilities at our other production plants. As such, plans have been implemented to fulfill feed requirements without further interruption.

We ask for your continued support as we work through this transition. Our entire team is deeply grateful for those of you who have already offered assistance during this incident. We remain committed to provide the highest value products and look forward to working with you as we enter this new chapter.

Again, thank you for your support and understanding. Please contact us should you have any questions."

Cheryl Shew Reports

On Monday, March 5, 2007, I called Cheryl Shew, global shrimp sales specialist at Zeigler, and asked her for an update.

Shrimp News: What's the status of shrimp feed production at Zeigler?

Cheryl Shew: The mill in Gardners, Pennsylvania, is a total loss, but the office complex and one warehouse were saved. It's a pretty ugly site out my office window; the clean-up has begun and there are piles of wreckage from the mill and ruined product and ingredients everywhere. The cranes and heavy equipment are loading the debris at a fast and steady pace reminding us all that we will begin to rebuild quickly. Shrimp feed orders are being filled and shipped on time from our East Berlin, Pennsylvania, manufacturing plant. We appreciate very much the kind offers of assistance from Burris Mills in Louisiana, Rangen Mills in Texas and Idaho, Nelson Bros. Mills in Utah and Mellick Mills here in Pennsylvania. We need their assistance to supply starter crumbles in the next couple of months because we promote the use of shrimp starter feeds and have solid sales of these products. It is good to be a member of the shrimp farming industry family.

Our partner in Panama, NASA, is prepared to step in and fill most of our orders in Central America. It's all coming together and our customers have been extraordinarily supportive. In fact, we've gotten extra orders from some of them just to help us out.

Matt Zeigler is working on the feed delivery schedules.

Shrimp News: Can you make the same shrimp feeds from the extruder mill and pellet in East Berlin that you were making from the expander mill in Gardners?

Cheryl Shew: Yes, the nutritional integrity of the diet will not change. At the East Berlin plant we have the flexibility of manufacturing our shrimp feeds with an extruder or with a pellet mill. Although the physical characteristics of the food particles produced may be slightly different, both processes have been shown to product satisfactory results in both laboratory scale and production scale feed trials.

Dr. Tom Zeigler Reports

"Our team is very appreciative of those who have offered their assistance during this situation. We feel extremely grateful and fortunate to be part of a truly compassionate industry."

Information: Zeigler Bros., Inc., P.O. Box 95, Gardners, PA 17324 USA (phone 717-677-6181, fax 717-677-6826, email info@zeiglerfeed.com, webpage www.zeiglerfeed.com).

Sources: 1. EveningSun.com (Serving Hanover and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania). Feed mill blaze draws 100 firefighters (http://www.eveningsun.com/localnews/ci_5307498). Sean Hilliard (shilliard@eveningsun.com). February 26, 2007. 2. EveningSun.com. Feed mill fire hot spots remain (http://www.eveningsun.com/localnews/ci_5314409). Sean Hilliard (shilliard@eveningsun.com). February 27, 2007. 3. YDR.com. Crews battle hot spots (http://www.ydr.com/newsfull/ci_5353387). Angie Mason (phone 771-2048, email amason@ydr.com). March 3, 2007. 4. Cheryl Shew, telephone interview by Bob Rosenberry, Shrimp News International on March 5, 2007. 5. Email from Cheryl Shew to Shrimp News International, March 7, 2007. 6. Zeigler Bros., Inc., Webpage. Press Release. Zeigler Plant Fire. Tim Zeigler. March 3, 2007. 7. Webpage of WGAL Channel 8 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on March 7, 2007. 8. Email to Shrimp News International from Time Zeigler on March 8, 2007.

United States Marine Shrimp Farming Program
Loses All Funding for Fiscal Year 2007

On March 1, 2007, at "Aquaculture 2007" in San Antonio, Texas, USA, I interviewed Dr. Tony Ostrowski, director of the United States Marine Shrimp Farming Program, which is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture and headquartered at the Oceanic Institute in Hawaii. The program supports a "Consortium" of institutions and labs in the United States that conduct marine shrimp farming research.

Shrimp News: We're going to be talking about "earmarks" in a minute. What are they?

Tony Ostrowski: In the United States legislative appropriations process, Congress has the power to direct the appropriations of money drawn from the treasury. This includes the power to "earmark" funds to be spent on specific projects. Earmarking is a regular part of the process of allocating funds within the federal government. Each of the appropriations subcommittees have their own practices for determining whether and what kind of projects they are willing to earmark, and each sets rules for how earmarks are managed.

Shrimp News: Has The United States Marine Shrimp Farming Program lost all its funding for fiscal year 2007?

Tony Ostrowski: The Consortium of seven institutions and universities that make up the United States Marine Shrimp Farming program has been funded with an "earmark" from Congress that is administered through the United States Department of Agriculture's CSREES (Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service) since its inception in 1985. Our earmark for 2007 was going just fine until this Congress decided to eliminate all earmarks because unfettered earmark inflation had set in over the last several years. All congessional earmarks, not just ours, ended, and we became collateral damage in the political dragnet, an unintended consequence of this decision.

All of the Consortium's money was in USDA CSREES. It was shifted into formula funds available largely to land grant institutions. That put the funds out of our reach.

Shrimp News: I know that you went to Washington, DC, to fight for the United States Marine Shrimp Farming Program. What did you do there?

Tony Ostrowski: We went to the Consortium's congressional delegations to try to free up some of those formula funds into a discretionary pool for CSREES to fund projects based on merit. Our congressional delegations have been very supportive of the program for more than twenty years, and the output of the program has been stellar. We let them know that we were interested in any discretionary funds that might become available. We made the point that the country could lose 22 years of selectively bred broodstock at the Oceanic Institute and the nation's only OIE (Office Internationale des Épizooties, Paris) reference lab for crustacean diseases and one of only two APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA) approved labs in the country at the University of Arizona, along with a shrimp research program that's recognized around the world. We get externally reviewed every four years, and our scientific program has always passed with flying colors. Our scientists have published over 1,000 peer reviewed papers in addition to numerous other publications.

In Washington, we got strong support and implemented some actions, but in the end, the efforts of our combined congressional delegations either failed or ran out of time. The Senate only had two weeks to debate the issue before it passed the Joint Resolution, and most discussions were dominated by Iraq.

Shrimp News: What have you lost?

Tony Ostrowski: We lost all our funding for fiscal year 2007. It went from around $4 million a year to zero. That means our program will end in May 2007. Our fiscal year runs from June to May. Our program year runs from March to February. One of our Consortium members ran out of money yesterday. We're trying to stretch out some of our funds just to keep the basic functions alive so that we might bridge the gap between Fiscal 2007 and Fiscal 2008. But, right now, there are no guarantees.

Shrimp News: Did you anticipate any of this?

Tony Ostrowski: No. We were blindsided by the results of the November 2006 elections. No one, not even our congressional delegations, believed that Congress would cut all earmarks. Then, in December 2006, a letter was published by Senator Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia) and Representative David Obey (D-Wisconsin), the respective Appropriations Chairmen, indicating their agreement to eliminate all earmarks in the 2007 budget. In January 2007, when the House Joint Resolution passed and was forwarded to the Senate, we knew we were in trouble. There had been talk in Washington about restricting the volume of earmarks and scrutinizing them more carefully, but no talk of cutting them completely, and certainly no talk of cutting them so fast.

Shrimp News: What are the chances that you will get new funding in 2008?

Tony Ostrowski: Through our congressional delegation we are already applying for new earmarks in 2008. We really don't know what is going to happen. Right now, there is no money. CSREES lost over $10 million in its aquaculture portfolio.

It really boils down to what Congress intends to do with earmarks. We are still hopeful that they will be restored in 2008. All signs appear to be positive, but we are still very unsure. We are trying to do what we can to find other funding for 2007.

Shrimp News: How much of the program can you hold together for another year?

Tony Ostrowski: None of it. All the Consortium members have run out of money. The most critical component of the program, the broodstock animals, must be saved because we have a 22-year investment in them. We can't let it die! So right now that's a primary goal: to keep the broodstock program going. We have some short-term, mid-term and long-term plans for that, but nothing is secure. If we get the broodstock funded for another year, we'll just have to wait and see what happens with the 2008 funding. We'll know more about that when the committee reports come out around April 2007. If the program is not in the committee reports, we'll have to prepare for a whole new ball game because that will be the end of the Consortium.

Shrimp News: How much money do you need to sustain the broodstock for another year?

Tony Ostrowski: The breeding program at OI costs about a million dollars a year to run. A bare bones program could be run for a little less than that, but it would still be very expensive.

Shrimp News: If you don't get the million dollars by this summer, what do you do with the animals?

Tony Ostrowski: If we do not secure FY08 funding or some sort of funding in 2007 to support, most notably, the breeding program and genetic improvement efforts at OI soon, the broodstock and all the stocks would have to be destroyed or other strategies employed. It would be the end of the US Marine Shrimp Farming Program for sure. This could happen as early as this summer. That will then have an effect on the U.S. broodstock industry which relies on the Consortium for their stocks and advanced genetic strains yearly. This industry supplies a large portion of the worlds' specific pathogen-free Litopenaeus vannamei. That could have a major effect on the $9 billion world shrimp farming industry, another example of the unintended consequences from the cut in earmarks.

Shrimp News: I read somewhere that OI was going to rev up its big, round pond and test some of its bio-floc ideas. Has that research been cancelled?

Tony Ostrowski: Actually that research is funded by a different program and will continue. We expect to begin stocking the round pond in about three weeks. It is exciting and may demonstrate a major leap forward in super-intensive shrimp production.

Shrimp News: What are your plans?

Tony Ostrowski: If the administrative function of the Consortium ends in July, I'm still vice president of the Oceanic Institute, and one way or another I plan to stay with OI. I'm also coordinator of Programs and Operations at OI. I've been at OI for 20 years. I've been a fish nutritionist; I've been the manager of a fish program; I've been a manager of a feeds program; I've been a jack of all trades and a master of some of them. We'll have to wait and see how it all works out.

I don't plan to give up. It's an important a program that funds many researchers across the country. What we need right now is for anyone who has benefited from the technology, products, services, or funding of the US Marine Shrimp Farming Program to write letters or get on the phone and encourage their congressmen to reinstate the program in the 2008 budget and beyond. That would be of tremendous help.

Information: Anthony Ostrowski, Ph.D., Director of the United States Marine Shrimp Farming Program, Oceanic Institute (an affiliate of Hawaii Pacific University), 41-202 Kalanianaole Highway, Waimanalo, HI 96795 USA (phone 808-259-3109, fax 808-259-3121, email aostrowski@oceanicinstitute.org, webpages www.oceanicinstitute.org and www.usmsfp.org).

Sources: 1. Dr. Anthony Ostrowski, interview by Bob Rosenberry, Shrimp News International. San Antonio, Texas, March 1, 2007. 2. Emails to Shrimp News International from Dr. Tony Ostrowski on March 5 and 7, 2007.

Country Reports

Australia
BioSecurity Australia's New Rules

On February 16, 2007, Steve Burrell, a writer for The Sydney Morning News, reported:

After plowing into half-a-dozen, big, freshly grilled shrimp at my local Italian restaurant, at a very reasonable price of $23.68, the night was spoiled somewhat when the chef sidled up and said: "Enjoy them while you can. In a few months time, the same dish could cost you $78.95, if I can get them at all."

The reason for the dire prediction is the introduction in March 2007 of tougher import restrictions that may double--and according to some--triple the price of whole, raw shrimp. The new rules from Biosecurity Australia, the Federal Government's quarantine watchdog, will ban the importation of whole raw shrimp and subject raw shrimp meat to strict new tests for diseases.

Australia imports about $197 million worth of shrimp each year, mainly from Thailand, Vietnam and China, around 70 percent of it raw.

The best quality whole, uncooked, wild shrimp are already scarce because a drought has reduced the river flows that carry food to juvenile shrimp in the coastal nurseries. Currently, at fish markets, shrimp sell for around $23.68 to $27.63 a kilo, and the price may rise to $55.26 to $78.95 when the import ban takes effect. Shrimp fishermen and shrimp farmers, who will benefit the most from the tougher import rules, dispute the more extreme predictions. They say that even if prices do go up, the pain is worth bearing to protect local stocks from the threat of diseases carried by foreign shrimp.

Source: The Sydney Morning News. Prepare to pay A$100 for a plate of prawns (http://www.smh.com.au/news/steve-burrell/prepare-to-pay-100-for-a-plate-of-prawns/2007/02/15/1171405371686.html). Steve Burrell. February 16, 2007.

Australia
BioSecurity Australia's New Rules

Australia's Seafood Importers Association says it will take legal action if BioSecurity Australia implements its proposed rules.

Source: ABC.net.au. Importers' group threatens legal action over prawn restrictions (http://www.abc.net.au/news/items/200702/1848886.htm?nt). February 15, 2007.

Canada
Lobster Conference

The 8th International Conference and Workshop on Lobster Biology and Management will be held on September 23-28, 2007, in Charlottetown, on Prince Edward Island. The organizers are accepting abstracts for posters and short oral presentations. For registration information, abstract guidelines and a submission form, visit: http://www.lobsterscience.ca/conference.

Information: Jean Lavallée, DVM, MSc, Clinical Scientist, AVC Lobster Science Centre, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada C1A 4P3 (phone 902-628-4392, fax 902-894-2885, email jlavallee@upei.ca).

Source: The Crust-L Mailing list (To subscribe, send an email to LISTPROC@VIMS.EDU. In the body of the email, put SUBSCRIBE CRUST-L). Subject: [CRUST-L:2459] Up-coming Lobster Conference. From: Jean Lavallée (jlavallee@upei.ca). February 12, 2007.

Chile
Decapods

Decapodos de Chile (on CD, in Spanish, $82.00) is a taxonomic reference work with up-to-date information on the Order Decapoda. Compiled by the ETI-Chile Center at the University of Concepción (using the Linnaeus II 2.0 software), it covers 254 species, 21 of them with economic importance, particularly crabs and shrimp. It contains detailed descriptions (morphology, geographical and bathymetrical distribution) of each species and numerous color and black and white drawings and photos. A video shows the ecology of the squat lobster (Pleuroncodes monodon). Also included: an easy-to-use interactive identification key and an extensive literature database. The CD works on Windows and Macintosh computers.

Information: Steven Simpson Books, 5 Hardingham Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR9 4LX United Kingdom (phone 01-953-850-471, fax +441-953-850-471, info@stevensimpsonbooks.com, webpage www.stevensimpsonbooks.com).

Source: The Crust-L Mailing list (To subscribe, send an email to LISTPROC@VIMS.EDU. In the body of the email, put SUBSCRIBE CRUST-L). Subject: [CRUST-L:2455] Decapodos de Chile. From: info@stevensimpsonbooks.com. February 10, 2007.

Ecuador
Blogger

Teo (no other identification provided), a blogger, reports:

So what exactly is a shrimp farm? I asked myself this question on the eight-hour bus ride to Guayaquil, Ecuador, where I was supposed to meet a lawyer named Javier who owned an organic shrimp farm on a deserted island three hours by boat into the Gulf of Guayaquil. We've all seen Forrest Gump, and we know the millions of ways to prepare shrimp, but I had no clue what the next few days would entail.

I met Javier. He said he would give me food and a bed for about 5-8 hours of work per day on his organic shrimp farm on Puna Island. I told him I didn't know anything about shrimp, islands, or anything about farming, but he said that was cool, as long as I was a good swimmer. That scared the shit out of me.

After talking with Javier, I decided to take the job--no, the adventure. First, I spent the night at his house only to be awakened at 4 a.m. to travel with one of his smiley workers named Tico Tico. Together we took a three-hour bus ride, hitchhiked, and rode in a potato, banana and rice laden boat for three hours to get to the island. It later turned out that all we ever ate were potatoes, bananas and rice...an Atkins nightmare for sure.

Originally, I was told the island was deserted except for the shrimp farm, but I had no idea just how deserted it was. There is nothing out there. NOTHING! Well, okay, tons of mangroves, rivers and birds that, I swear to God looked exactly like pterodactyls [most likely frigate birds].

I did all sorts of crazy odd jobs. Some days I rowed a canoe around in one of the gigantic (like the size of two football fields) shrimp ponds, while another worker fed the shrimp. Maybe that's why Javier wanted me to have swimming skills. Some days I weighed shrimp and checked for infectious shrimp diseases. But my favorite job was pond preparation. What does this entail? Before stocking shrimp, it is necessary to cover the bottom with something called ¨Carbonato¨ (calcium carbonate). I don't know what this shit does but we had to carry huge sacks of it and spread it on the pond bottom. We looked like snowmen when the job was done. But the craziest part was that we did all of this in semi-dry ponds, working knee deep in chocolate-pudding mud, barefoot, sloshing around for hours. It was rad. There were tons of other weird things going on like guards with Uzi machine guns.

Source: Teo's View (a blog site). Only Shrimp, you'll have to wait a week for Galapagos (http://theviewfromteo.blogspot.com/2007/02/only-shrimp-youll-have-to-wait-week-for.html). February 17, 2007.

India
Prawn Genetics

Kozhikode, Kerala...Researchers at Calicut University have isolated two growth regulating genes of the freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii). Principal investigator K.V. Lazar said the genes could lead to a new variety of prawn with an extraordinary growth rate.

Source: Newindpress.com. CU feat in cloning of prawns boon for export sector (http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IER20070220011859&Page=R&Title=Kerala&Topic=0). February 20 2007.

India
Penaeus Indicus

Amir posts to AquaNic: I have experience with Penaeus monodon and P. vannamei, but unfortunately don't know much about P. indicus farming. I am looking for information on optimum conditions, species tolerances and farming methods for indicus.

Source: AquaNic (The Aquaculture Network Information Center, a gateway to the world's electronic aquaculture resources, http://aquanic.org/index.htm). Shrimp Discussion Group (http://www.aquanic.org/discuss/shrimp.htm). P. indicus (http://www.aquanic.org/discuss/_shrimp/00001188.htm). From: Amir (amir_kh47@yahoo.com). February 21, 2007.

India
Villagers Donate Mangroves

Residents of the seaside villages on the fringe of the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary in Orissa's Kendrapara District have volunteered to hand over 500 hectares of their ancestral land to the State Forest Department's mangrove regeneration program. Currently, most of the land is being exploited by environmentally damaging shrimp farms. The farmers, unable to make money, want to get out of shrimp farming. A proposal for monetary compensation for the landowners has been sent to the State Forest Department and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest. The mangrove belt acts as a natural barrier to the marauding sea.

Source: KalingaTimes.com. Orissa villagers volunteer to give land for mangrove regeneration (http://www.kalingatimes.com/orissa_news/news/20070215_Land_for_mangrove_regeneration.htm). February 16, 2007.

Indonesia
CP Prima Gets $200 Million Loan

PT Central Proteinaprima (CP Prima, the Indonesian shrimp farming unit of Thailand's Charoen Pokphand Group) operates shrimp feed mills, hatcheries, farms and processing plants across Indonesia and exports farm-raised shrimp to the USA, the European Union and Japan. Recently, after going public, it purchased Shrimp Improvement Systems, a Penaeus vannamei broodstock facility in Florida, USA.

CP Prima has obtained a five-year, $200 million loan from a syndicate of local and foreign banks. The loan carries an annual interest rate of 3.5 percent above the London Interbank rate, and will be used to repay a loan received in May 2006.

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service). Indonesia's CP Prima shrimp company secures new $200 million loan. Ken Coons. Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com). February 20, 2007.

Indonesia
PT Dipasena Citra Darmaja

Jakarta...The government is looking for a new financier to help revitalize the Dipasena shrimp farm, billed as the largest shrimp farm in the world, because the previous creditor, PT Recapital Advisors, failed to double the amount of investment capital as required by the government. Under the previous contract, Recapital was to provide $164 million in credit to revitalize the farm in Lampung on the southeast coast of Sumatra, but in December 2006, the government raised the credit requirement to $328 million and Recapital was unable to deliver the funds. In addition, Recapital was required to provide $120 million in credit to Dipasena's satellite farmers. Recapital President Rosan Perkasa Roeslani said the government refused to give it additional time to raise the funds. "If we were given another month, we would have been able to raise $455 million," Rosan said.

Following the 1997/1998 monetary crisis in Southeast Asia, the government took over Dipasena from the Gajah Tunggal Group because it failed to pay its debts.

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service). Indonesia seeking a new backer for Dipasena shrimp pond renovation. Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com). March 2, 2007.

Indonesia
Objects to Import Regulations

Indonesia objects to the import regulations levied on its shrimp by the European Union and Japan. European imports, for example, must not have more than 1 milligram of antibiotic residue per ton, but Europeans are allowed to consume as much as 1,500 grams of antibiotic a day in their medicines.

Japanese import regulations say shrimp ponds must be free of worms, rats, birds and chickens. In January 2007, 15 containers of shrimp from Indonesia were refused entry into Japan, causing an estimated loss of $2.4 million.

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service). Indonesia upset over tightening of shrimp rules in EU, Japan, with 15 containers rejected in January. Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com). February 15, 2007.

Mexico
Pescanova to Export Shrimp

Pescanova, the leading fisheries company in Spain, is exploring the possibility of exporting head-on shrimp from Mexico to the USA and Europe. Some trial shipments have already been made. The European market for Mexican shrimp has not been developed because of Mexico's reliance on shipments to the USA.

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service). Pescanova starts pilot project to export head-on shrimp from Mexico, says report from Sonora. Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com). February 19, 2007.

Micronesia
Crab Farming

On the island of Kosrae, a state in the Federated States of Micronesia, an island group in the South Pacific, 4,000 crablets have been released into mangrove holding ponds, the first stage of an experimental program to see whether commercial mud crab cultivation is possible on the island. "We had hoped to release 40,000, but delays in building the holding ponds reduced the numbers," said Jerome Genodepa, a mangrove crab specialist and consultant with YH & CC Shelley of Australia, which has a contract to help the Kosraens set up the crab operation. "The crablets are very vulnerable when they molt, and in the confines of the tanks, cannibalization is a problem," he said. A second lot of one million eggs has been put through the incubation process, but less than ten percent of them will survive the larval period. Once they are released into the mangrove holding ponds, the odds improve dramatically, with up to 70 percent surviving.

Plans call for commercial crab production within three to five years, with a target of producing 33 tons of crabs a year, equivalent to 30,000 to 90,000 crabs. Retail prices, which are based on crab size and quality, currently range from $12 a pound in Guam to $35 a pound in Australia, making the potential retail market worth up to $2.3 million.

Mangrove enclosures for crab cultivation are planned in all four districts of Kosrae and will eventually be operated by local businessmen. Full business plans, including marketing and processing, are being developed. "Now there are crablets, there shouldn't be any turning back," said Reedson Abraham, director of the Kosrae Department of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, which oversees the project.

Source: Pacific Magazine. Commercial Crab Farming Underway in Kosrae (http://www.pacificmagazine.net/news/2007/02/20/commercial-crab-farming-underway-in-kosrae). Allyson Madsen. February 20, 2007.

Nicaragua
The International Shrimp Culture Symposium and Trade Show

Grupo de Ferias, Congresos y Eventos has created an English/Spanish webpage (http://www.gfce.org) for The International Shrimp Culture Symposium and Trade Show to be held in León, Nicaragua, on May 2-4, 2007. At the webpage, click on the green rectangle next to the map of South America to get information on registration, the trade show and hotels. The theme for the Symposium is "Successfully Surviving the White Spot Syndrome Virus and Other Pathogens" (Sobreviviendo Exitosamente al Virus de la Mancha Blanca y Otros Patugenos). The program, which should be available at the site by Monday, March 12, 2007, is not limited to diseases and pathogens, but will also cover nutrition, pond fertilization, genetics, growout, biosecurity, microbial ecology, aeration, farm management and export regulations for organic shrimp.

Keynote Speakers:

Chalor Limsuwan (Thailand)
Donald Lightner (USA).

Other Speakers:

Peter Coutteau (Belgium)
Patrick Lavens (Belgium)
Manuel Fukushima (Peru)
Roger Doyle (Canada)
Carlos Tay (Guatemala)
Sandra Torres (Canada)
Albert Tacon (USA)
Armando Piccinini (Italy)
Jorge Cuéllar-Angel (Panama)
Birmania Martinez (Nicaragua)
Dorian Xerri (USA)
Luis Fernando Botero (Colombia)
Jose Torres (Ecuador)
Gino Pinargote (Ecuador)

There will be a tour option on May 2 and a workshop on May 5.

Sponsors: Cargill Animal Nutrition and Farallon Aquaculture.

Information: Manuel Alzamora, conference manager, Grupo de Ferias, Congresos y Eventos, S.A (phone 507-236-7845, fax 507-236-6652, email camaron@gfce.org, webpage gfce.org/camaron2007).

Source: Emails to Shrimp News International from Manuel Alzamore on March 7, 2007.

Nicaragua
Where Are the Shrimp Farms?

The following item appeared on Nicaragua Living, a blog site in Nicaragua:

Has anyone here actually laid their own eyes on a shrimp farm in Nicaragua? I have heard lots of folks tell me it's being done here, and lots more saying it's not being done. If you've seen a shrimp farm or truly know of one's location, would you please share your knowledge?

[No information is provided on the identity of the blogger, but you can read the seven responses to his question at the web address given below. He gets some pretty good answers. As of March 9, 2007, 556 people had read the posts.]

Sources: 1. Nicaragua Living. Shrimp Farm (http://www.nicaliving.com/node/8740). Submitted by catahoula_fan on February 16, 2007. 2. Bob Rosenberry, Shrimp News International, March 5, 2007.

Philippines
Penaeus Vannamei

Penaeus vannamei farming is spreading to the far corners of the Philippine archipelago and is expected to replace the indigenous tiger shrimp (P. monodon) on farms in the coming years.

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service). The Philippines will soon be a top exporter of white shrimp called P. vannamei, according to House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com). February 19, 2007.

Philippines
Shrimp Polycultured with Tilapia

Fishpond operators in Ifugao, a landlocked province on the island of Luzon, successfully polyculture tilapia and shrimp.

Source: Mercapesca. Shrimp production growing in Ifugao (http://www.mercapesca.net/index.php?IDIOMA=ENG&MPRIN=MER&MSEC=MER.NOT&PLANA=2&ACCIO=2074). February 16, 2007.

Suriname
Europe Rejects Shrimp

Paramaribo...The European Commission has imposed a ban on farmed shrimp from Suriname. A recent EC inspection found serious problems and health hazards at shrimp farms in Suriname. The shrimp farms that inspectors visited were in very bad condition. Farmers were not able to show that their products were free of antibiotic residues. It could take months or even years for the EU to lift the ban. Shrimp that are caught at sea are not affected by the ban.

Source: Caribbean Net News. Europe bans Suriname fishery products (http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/cgi-script/csArticles/articles/000060/006027.htm). Ivan Cairo (ivan@caribbeannetnews.com). February 16, 2007.

Thailand
BioSecurity Australia's New Import Rules

In late February 2007, Thailand may carry its case against BioSecurity Australia's import regulations to the World Trade Organization. Chutima Bunyapraphasara, director-general of the Thai Trade Negotiations Department, said representatives of the Commerce, Agriculture, and Foreign ministries have already traveled to Australia to confer with officials and provide assurances that Thai shrimp have never spread disease to shrimp farms in any importing country. Ms. Chutima said the measure issued by Australia is clearly seen as a trade barrier because there is no scientific evidence to substantiate its claims.

Source: MCOTNews.com. Thailand's complaint on Australia's shrimp barrier goes to WTO (http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=27958). February 16, 2007.

United States
Florida--Indian River Aquaculture

Don Schumann at Indian River Aquaculture, a small, greenhouse, shrimp farm that has been closed since experiencing heavy hurricane damage in 2005, reports: We have several positions open for shrimp hatchery technicians with experience in algae culture and broodstock management. Send your resume to: dschu91733@aol.com.

Source: Email from Don Schumann to Shrimp News International on March 3, 2007. Subject: Indian River Aquaculture. From: dschu91733@aol.com.

United States
Hawaii--Hualalai Resort

In 2001, when the Hualalai Resort asked David Chai, its director of environment and a biologist, to create a pond for its new golf course, he had a tall order to fill. "It had to look good, but we also...wanted to raise fish in this pond and supply the restaurants and staff with fresh seafood," says Chai. He created a 2.5-acre pond along the fairway of the resort's fifth hole. The pond produces shrimp (15 to 20 pounds of Pacific white shrimp a week), moi, clams and oysters for the resort's restaurants. If you'd like to get in touch with Chai, you can reach him at the Hualalai Resort (phone 808-325-8000).

Source: KHNL8. Hawaii Island Man Wins Prestigious Environmental Award from EPA (http://www.khnl.com/Global/story.asp?S=6117479). Diane Ako. February 21, 2007.

Vietnam
Drops 100% Inspections

Vietnam plans to end antibiotic checks on 100% of its seafood exports to the USA and Canada. In the future, the National Fisheries Quality and Veterinary Directorate (NAFIQAVED) says it will only perform antibiotic tests on batches of seafood if required to do so by interested parties or to meet bilateral trade agreements. The Fisheries Ministry reported that in 2006 only 0.43 percent of nearly 579,000 tons of seafood shipments, representing 72 percent of the country's total seafood exports, were contaminated with antibiotics, down 80% from 2005. The authorities also found that microbial contamination was down 50 percent from the previous year. During tests of seafood to be shipped to the USA market in 2006, the fisheries authorities said only one batch was found to be tainted with chemicals and antibiotics, compared to 71 cases the previous year.

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service). Vietnam ends 100% mandatory lab inspection for US shipments, after finding only 1 problem in 2006. Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com). February 15, 2007.

Vietnam
Shrimp/Crab Polyculture

According to Dr., Hoang Tung, director of the International Centre for Research and Training at Nha Trang University in Central Vietnam, mud crabs (mostly Scylla paramamosain) are being farmed in many coastal provinces. He says Vietnam is among the best in the world at hatchery production of mud crabs: "The survival rate for the total larval rearing phase may be only 15-20%, but it is very stable. This indicates that we have good hatchery technologies for mud crab, and just need to improve it. The demand for mud crab juveniles in Vietnam is really high, and we are not yet able to meet it."

Tung says that mud crabs are grown mainly in earthen ponds at low densities, about one animal per square meter. The yield is 1.5 to 2 tons per year with crop duration of about six months. "A production higher than that is not possible...because of cannibalism; the crabs kill each other when they molt."

Tung says that work is being done on the polyculture of shrimp and crabs: "Initially our farmers thought that when they tried to farm shrimp and mud crabs together in one pond, the shrimp needed to be much larger than the crabs, otherwise the crabs would surely eat them. But, in fact, the shrimp ate the crabs, not vice versa! Shrimp when they molt are still able to move about if threatened, but crabs when they molt just sit there and are eaten by the larger shrimp. So, our farmers switched to stocking larger crabs with smaller shrimp and that has worked quite well."

Information: Dr. Hoang Tung (htunguof@gmail.com).

Source: Fish Farming International (http://www.fishfarminginternational.com). Editor, Kenny McCaffrey (kenny.mccaffrey@informa.com). Asian Update/Vietnam expands with new species. Volume 34, Number 1, Page 14, January 2007.