Gay Says Captive Male Tigers
Not Interested in Sex

Gay Marsden, a life sciences researcher at Queensland University of Technology in Australia, has spent two months filming shrimp behavior to determine why male, captive-reared, tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) are not interested in sex.

“When prawns are caught from the wild and put into tanks, they have no problem breeding,” she said.  “It is a different story for the prawns reared in captivity.  It was suspected that prawns bred in captivity weren’t interested in sex, but very little was known about why this was the case, so I undertook the study to try to find out.”

Using infrared cameras, Marsden compared the bedroom behavior of captive-bred shrimp with wild shrimp.  “Males mate with females after the females molt, when they have lost their shells their bodies are soft and can be implanted with sperm,” she said.  “But when I looked at the videos of the captive-reared prawns, when the females molted, the males weren’t interested, indicating pheromones were lacking.”

“Their non-reproductive behavior is normal, so they appear healthy in that regard, but there is a problem; the males and females are not attracted to each other.  I found it was partly the females fault probably for not releasing many pheromones, but there was also something wrong with the males; they weren’t very receptive to what pheromones there were.”

Marsden said for an animal that had a brain the size of a pinhead, shrimp were surprisingly complex.

“From my research, we’ve got leads for improved nutrition and have also carried out some trials looking at the effect of different hormones on the shrimp reproduction,” she said.  “Their endocrine system is not functioning normally and further research is needed to find out why that is.”

Information: Gay Marsden, c/o Dr. Neil Richardson, School of Life Science, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 4001 (phone +61-7-3138-1388, fax +61-7-3138-1534, email n.richardson@qut.edu.au).

Source: BrisbaneTimes.com.  No tiger in captive prawn’s sex drive.  Katrina Witham.  February 28, 2009.

Country Reports

Australia

Queensland—The Lobster Farming State

Queensland is set to become a world leader in lobster farming with the establishment of a partnership in tropical rock lobster research and breeding between the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) and Lobster Harvest, Pty., Ltd., which was started by the MG Kailis Group.  Lobster Harvest will move its tropical rock lobster propagation program from Exmouth in Western Australia to DPI&F’s Northern Fisheries Centre in Cairns, Queensland.

The MG Kailis Group first produced rock lobster juveniles in June 2006 at its research facility in Exmouth, becoming the first organization in the world to do so.  It wasn’t easy; the larval stages take more than 100 days.  It did it again in 2007 and 2008, and the offspring were grown to adults.  MG Kailis created Lobster Harvest in 2007 and remains a major shareholder.

Tim Mulherin, Australia’s Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries, said the collaborators would work together to become world leaders in commercially viable lobster hatchery technologies.  “DPI&F has a ten-year history of tropical rock lobster aquaculture research and development and is already a world leader in rock lobster larval rearing research,” said Mulherin.  He said a commercial lobster hatchery would likely be established near Cairns or elsewhere along the Queensland coast to supply lobster seedstock to farms, which could be located in the Torres Strait Islands (Australian-owned islands between northern Queensland and Indonesia).

Source: BYMNews.com.  Australia.  Major lobster breeding deal hatched in Cairns.  February 17, 2009.

Brunei

Integrated Aquaculture International Readies SPF Tiger Shrimp

The Department of Fisheries (DOF) of Brunei Darussalam in conjunction with Integrated Aquaculture International (IAI) has produced the second generation of black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) from a population that underwent rigorous quarantine and pathogen screening.  The second-generation animals will be transferred to the Aquaculture Development Centre in Meragang, where they will become the foundation population of a family-based breeding program.  The remainder will be transferred to the Seiwa hatchery and Semaun Aquaculture farm for trials.  After the trials, the animals will be offered to farms for commercial production.

In Brunei, farmers who produce white shrimp (P. vannamei) are struggling to compete with farmed white shrimp from Asia.  To regain a competitive position, DOF and IAI undertook a three-year, renewable project to develop advanced technology for the production of large tiger shrimp.  The program involves a package of technology to improve health, breeding, feeds and growout systems.  Screening for disease pathogens is done with advanced molecular and histopathology systems in a lab linked to Dr. Donald Lightner’s lab at the University of Arizona, USA.

Source: The Global Aquaculture Advocate.  Editor, Darryl Jory (dejry2525@aol.com).  Brunei Aquaculture Program Achieves Black Tiger Breakthrough.  Volume 12, Issue 1, Page 82, January/February 2009.

Ecuador

Organic Shrimp Products for the French Market

Atlantic Seafood, a French company, has been working for more than three years in exclusive association with an Ecuadorian shrimp producer to create two organic shrimp products:

1. Individually quick frozen, whole, uncooked, in 400-gram boxes.

2. Individually quick frozen, peeled, uncooked, in two 150-gram, vacuum-packed

bags within boxes.

Atlantic guarantees that the shrimp are free of chemicals and additives and that they were farmed in an environmentally friendly way.  It will sell the products under its organic brand, “Atlantic Bio”.

Source: Seafood International.  New Products/Organic shrimp from Ecuador-French JV.  Volume-24, Issue-2, Page-11, February 2009.

Indonesia

CP Prima Financial Offering in Limbo

Investors are waiting for answers from Indonesia’s Capital Market Regulator about the suspension in December 2008 of a rights offering by the world’s biggest shrimp producer, PT Central Proteinaprima, Tbk., or CP Prima.

CP Prima launched a rights issue worth $143 million on December 15, 2008, but the Capital Market and Financial Institutions Supervisory Agency, or Bapepam-LK, suspended trading in the rights on December 19, 2008, the last day of the five-day offering period.  At the time, Bapepam, which announced the move through the Indonesian Stock Exchange, said the company needed to provide “more information” about the issue, without specifying what that information was.

Since the suspension, Bapepam has failed to issue an official statement explaining why it was imposed.  Until the suspension is lifted, none of the rights can be exercised.

“Many market players and analysts are speculating about the real reasons,” said Pardomuan Sihombing, head researcher at Paramitra Alfa Securities.

On February 24, 2009, a stock exchange spokesperson told the Jakarta Globe, “We suspended trading in CP Prima rights on December 19, 2008, at the direction of Bapepam.  We still don’t know why.  Bapepam is handling the case and we are waiting for Bapepam to give its reasons.”

“We’ve been waiting a long time now to find out the reason.  It’s already been two months and we still don’t know the status of the CP Prima rights issue.  Whether it has been cancelled or not,” Pardomuan said.

“Taking a positive view, the suspension of the rights issue by Bapepam means that it is trying to protect investor interests.  But, objectively speaking, if Bapepam fails to detect any violations of the rules, it should let the rights issue go ahead,” Pardomuan said.

On February 23, 2009, a webpage quoted Sarjito, the director of the investigation bureau at Bapepam, as saying that the CP Prima case would “immediately” be forwarded to the Bapepam sanctions committee.  He has since refused to comment on the issue, despite frequent requests from the Jakarta Globe.

Meanwhile, Fajar Reksoprodjo, CP Prima’s corporate communications manager, said the company had fulfilled all of the procedures laid down by Bapepam for the rights issue and was surprised by the cancellation.

On December 11, 2008, Fitch Ratings downgraded CP Prima’s long-term foreign currency issue default rating to “B” from “B⁺”.

Source: TheJakartaGlobe.com.  Something Strange About CP Prima’s Rights Suspension?  Yohanes Obor.  February 26, 2009.

Thailand

Expects Exports to USA to Surge

The outlook for Thailand’s shrimp exports is more promising now that the United States has eliminated dumping duties for two Thai shrimp companies: the Rubicon Group and Thai l-Mei Frozen Foods.

Washington also cut dumping duties for other Thai shrimp exporting firms to 5.34 percent from 5.95 percent, effective January 16, 2009.

The USA is Thailand’s biggest market for shrimp, representing about 51.31 percent of Thai shrimp exports.  In 2008, Thailand’s shrimp shipments to the USA market brought the country $1.2 billion, up 1.5 percent from $1.19 billion in 2007.

With the cuts in the dumping tariff on Thai shrimp and the exemption of two Thai shrimp firms from USA dumping orders, Thai shrimp exports to the USA are expected to expand, despite the USA recession.

Poj Aramwattananont, president of the Thai Frozen Foods Association, welcomed the USA government’s move, and forecast that Thai shrimp exports to the USA market in 2009 would increase by at least 10 percent in volume.  A forecast for value would be tough, he said, as he does not know how far the baht will fall.

Source: The Wave (an online, subscription-based news service published by IntraFish Media, Norway).  Editorial Director, John Fiorillo (phone 1-206-282-3474, extension 25, cell 1-206-963-5732, fax 1-206-282-3470, email john.fiorillo@intrafish.com).  Thailand expects U.S. shrimp exports to surge.  February 25, 2009.

Thailand

DuPont Introduces New Line of Shrimp Pathogen Diagnostic Tests

On February 17, 2009, DuPont Animal Health Solutions announced a new product line that will bring shrimp-pathogen detection to the farm and put it in the hands of the farmer.

“DuPontTM Virkon Aquatic Biosecurity Monitoring System provides shrimp farmers with a faster and improved solution for early White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) detection in their ponds,” said Paolo Barbieri, a DuPont global business director.  It delivers the fastest test results among all the PCR methods, and its sensitivity is superior to other field methods such as immunoassays.  The test performance is also superior to typical lab methods such as one-step polymerase chain reaction (PCR) currently used in the industry.  The Virkon Aquatic test detects viruses at an early development stage, allowing for meaningful intervention.  Depending on sample size, test results are obtained within two hours, versus days using traditional methods.

“Thailand is the first country to launch this test kit.  It was developed by DuPont in close contact with its customers to meet the needs of the shrimp industry globally,” said Somchai Laohverapanich, managing director of DuPont Thailand.  “Since Thailand is one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of shrimp products, we see that this new product line will benefit the economic health and overall sustainability of the shrimp manufacturing value chain”.

The Virkon Aquatic WSSV test kit includes the following components:

• Sample preparation reagent for the extraction of (viral) DNA from the sample materials

• Amplification reagent for the PCR reaction

• Detection reagent and detection strip for analysis

• Instruction manual with step-by-step guidelines

Information: DuPont in Thailand.

Source: The Nation.  DuPont Introduces New Line of Shrimp Pathogen Diagnostic Tests.  February 17, 2009.

United States

California—Del Taco

The bold, great taste of Del Taco’s Crispy Shrimp Taco is back for a limited time only, beginning February 25, 2009, and available while supplies last.

With butterflied shrimp dipped in a lime chili batter, shredded cabbage, secret sauce, freshly made salsa and a lime wedge, the Crispy Shrimp Taco sells for only $1.89.  The meal deal sells for $5.99 and includes two Shrimp Tacos, world famous crinkle cut fries and a drink.

“It was customer demand that led us to bring back this great taste,” said Sharon Fogg, senior vice president of marketing at Del Taco.  “Consumers know Del Taco is the place for great tacos and our Shrimp Taco delivers with shrimp in every bite.”

Del Taco menu items are made fresh to order.  Del Taco has more than 515 restaurants in 16 states, mostly in the west and upper mid-west.

Source: PR-Insider.com.  Del Taco’s Bringing Shrimp Back.  Barbara Caruso (email carusocom@aol.com, phone 1-714-841-6777).  February 25, 2009.

Vietnam

Shrimp Shortage at Processing Plants

Seafood processing plants in the Mekong Delta are working at 30 to 40 percent of capacity, and 20,000 processing plant workers are at risk of losing their jobs.  A huge shortage of shrimp is at the root of the problem.

Ho Quoc Luc, chairman of the Sao Ta Food Joint-Stock Company (Fimex VN), says that due to the shortage of raw material, his plant has no choice but to dismiss workers.  The plant can process 40 metric tons a day, but current production is only one ton a day.  Luc says his overhead to run the plant for one day is $10,000, and the revenue from one ton of processed shrimp is $5,000.  If the situation does not improve, the company will have to cut another 500 jobs, he says.

Nguyen Thi Lan, a long-standing employee of Camimex processing plant, said that in previous years, her salary was over $144 a month, but for the last two months, her company has been operating with major manpower and operation cuts because of the lack of raw material.  Employees are only working for three to four hours a day or getting reduced working shifts every month, she said.

In Soc Trang Province, the total number of workers in local seafood processing factories has fallen from 15,000 to 12,000 so far in 2009.

Source: VietnamNet.vn.  Short supply of fish, shrimp may cost thousands of jobs.  February 23, 2009.

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