Free News Sept 29, 2006

The current issue of Aqua Feeds: Formulation and Beyond contains some great articles on feeding crabs, lobsters and shrimp (see Brazil, below). In it, editor Victor Suresh reports:

In 1997, the World Aquaculture Society published Crustacean Nutrition, edited by Louis D'Abramo, Douglas Conklin and Dean Akiyama, currently the most comprehensive and authoritative reference on crustacean nutrition. Many chapters, like the one by Lee and Meyers on chemoattraction and feeding stimulation, provide a solid conceptual framework on their respective subject matters, and will stand the test of time. But, over the last ten years, there have been many new developments in penaeid shrimp nutrition. For example:

• Establishment of the quantitative requirements for an indispensable amino acid in black tiger shrimp and the Japanese kuruma shrimp by researchers at Kagoshima University in Japan.

• Establishment of essential fatty acid requirements in black tiger shrimp by CSIRO researchers in Australia.

• Understanding of the interaction between phospholipids and cholesterol in the Pacific white shrimp by researchers at Texas A&M University in the USA.

• Research by the USA Marine Shrimp Farming Program that led to the understanding of the relationship between pond biota and shrimp growth.

An update to Crustacean Nutrition that will incorporate new knowledge generated in the last ten years is needed. A number of people have recently shown interest in publishing an update of Crustacean Nutrition, or a new book focused exclusively on shrimp nutrition. Allen Davis at Auburn University is coordinating the efforts with help from Douglas Conklin at the University of California/Davis, who is trying to reorganize a working group on shrimp and fish nutrition. An informal meeting on the subject has been proposed for the upcoming Eighth International Symposium on Aquaculture Nutrition (Mazatlan, Mexico, mid-November 2006). If you are interested in contributing to the book effort, contact Dr. Davis at davisda@auburn.edu or Dr. Conklin at deconklin@ucdavis.edu.

Information: Dr. Victor Suresh, Feedware LLC, P.O. Box 17546, Austin, TX 78760 USA (512-386-7333, fax 305-574-8253, email victor@feedware.com, webpage www.feedware.com).

Source: Aqua Feeds: Formulation and Beyond (www.feedware.com). Editor, Dr. Victor Suresh. Editor's Word. Volume 3, Page 2, Issue 1, 2006.

Country Reports

Brazil
Feeding vannamei

Shrimp farmers use feeding tables to adjust weekly feed rations and feeding trays to estimate feed consumption. Feeding rates, times and frequency vary depending on the species, the age of the animals, the size of the farm, the intensification level and the quality of the water and feed. Although some farmers have adopted more complex feeding protocols, most feed management technologies have remained practically unchanged since the mid-1980s.

It has always been assumed that frequent feedings lead to faster shrimp growth, better feed conversion and improved water quality. Some recent data, however, suggests that there may be no benefit to frequent feedings, so we conducted a study to evaluate the effect of feeding frequency on the growth of white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. Additionally, we determined the leaching loss of nutrients from the feed immersed in water to see if nutrient loss would affect shrimp growth.

The results of this study indicated that exposure of feed to water for long periods results in significant losses of dry matter, crude protein and lipid. Based on this study, it can be estimated that for every ton of 35% protein feed, leaching losses can account for 102 kilograms of dry matter and 44 kg of crude protein over eight hours. However, when delivered at two-hour intervals, leaching losses are reduced by 39% (62 kg) for dry matter and 59% (18 kg) for crude protein.

Higher feeding frequencies did not result in better shrimp growth or more uniform sizes, a surprising result and contrary to the expectation based on the leaching losses. The fact that the shrimp fed less often grew as well as those fed more often points to the possibility that the feed is over formulated with nutrients to cover leaching losses for up to eight hours. For feeds containing lower density of nutrients, more feedings/day may improve shrimp performance.

The present work has shown that when feed rations are adjusted weekly based on estimated shrimp biomass, delivering feed more than twice per day is not advantageous in the growout of L. vannamei. However, when feeding exclusively with feeding trays or when using feeds with low physical and nutritional quality under intensive conditions, multiple daily feedings should still be considered as a strategy to reduce feed conversion ratios and control feed costs on shrimp farms.

Source: Aqua Feeds: Formulation and Beyond (www.feedware.com). Editor, Dr. Victor Suresh (victor@feedware.com). Feeding the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. Alberto J.P. Nunes (Instituto de Ciências do Mar, Laboratório de Ração e Nutrição de Camarão Marinho, Av. da Abolição, 3207-Meireles, 60.165-081, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil albertojpn@uol.com.br) and Esau Aguiar Carvalho. Volume 3, Page 11, Issue 1, 2006.

Cuba
Hormones

Cuba's Biotechnology and Genetic Engineer Center uses a hormonal drug to increase the performance of shrimp.

Source: Radio Cadena Agramonte. Important scientific contribution by Camagüey-based Biotechnology and Genetic Engineer Center (http://www.cadenagramonte.cubaweb.cu/english/up_todate/september_06/190906_01.asp). Roger Rodríguez Martín. September 20, 2006.

Thailand
Sex Change Produces Male Prawns

Male freshwater prawns (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) grow faster than female freshwater prawns. This paper describes a technique for producing broods which are largely, although not completely, male. The technique involves the removal of the androgenic gland from male postlarvae, which causes them to mature as females. When these females are subsequently mated with normal males, egg production is normal and the offspring are mostly males.

Original Source: Production of all-male stock by neofemale technology of the Thai strain of freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii. W. Rungsin, N. Paankhao and U. Na-Nakorn (fsciwrrs@ku.ac.th). Aquaculture 259:99-94, 2006.

Source: Genetic Computation Limited (free online summaries of aquaculture genetics research). Editor, Roger Doyle (gcl@genecomp.com). Hard-to-find papers. High-male populations of Macrobrachium rosenbergii (http://www.genecomp.com/Sept_2006.htm). Item No. 535, September 2006.

Thailand
Taura Syndrome Virus

Researchers report: "Comparison revealed that the Thai, Burmese and Chinese Taura syndrome types formed a clade [a group of organisms consisting of a single common ancestor and all the descendants of that ancestor] distinct from a clade of TSV types from the Americas."

Original Source: Taura syndrome virus (TSV) in Thailand and its relationship to TSV in China and the Americas. L. Nielsen, W. Sang-oum, S. Cheevadhanarak and T.W. Flegel (sctwf@mahidol.ac.th). Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 63:101-106, 2005.

Source: Genetic Computation Limited (free online summaries of aquaculture genetics research). Editor, Roger Doyle (gcl@genecomp.com). Hard-to-find papers. Thai TSV more related to Asian than American strains (http://www.genecomp.com/July_2006.htm). Item No. 506, July 2006.

Thailand
Feeling the Competition

Thailand is likely to start developing genetically modified crops in order to maintain its competitive edge in the global food business. Thailand, the world's leading exporter of canned tuna and frozen shrimp, considers China a competitor in many of its biggest export markets, like rice, pineapples and shrimp. "China is now producing as much shrimp as Thailand, some 280,000 tons," said Professor Sakarindr Bhumiratana from the National Science and Technology Development Agency during a conference in Bangkok. While Thailand's shrimp production is on a plateau, China expanded its production by around 25 percent in 2006.

Source: NutraIngredient-USA.com. Thailand sees GM as key to rising threat from Chinese agriculture (http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=70652-fi-asia-thailand-gm-agriculture). Dominique Patton. September 19, 2006.

United States
Alabama--Greene Prairie Aquafarm

Boligee...At Greene Prairie Aquafarm, Rud Schmittou and David Teichert-Coddington raise the western white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) in 17 ponds fed by an ancient saltwater aquifer that lingers 650 feet below the farm. In business for six years, they have 54 acres underwater and expect to produce 150,000 pounds of shrimp in 2006. They hope 2006 will be the year that they start making money.

In the early years, their shrimp survivals were low until they figured out that their water lacked potassium. After adding it, survivals increased dramatically. Adding magnesium further improved survivals and growth.

Teichert-Coddington lives on the farm and has computerized sensors that constantly track oxygen levels in the ponds and switch aerators on when necessary.

After harvest, the shrimp are cleaned and put on ice for the trip to Mobile for processing, or, on weekends, to Birmingham to be sold fresh at restaurants and markets. In November 2006, Teichert-Coddington and Schmittou plan to market shrimp directly from their website (http://www.greeneprairieaquafarm.com).

Source: The Birmingham News. Shellfish intentions/Team taps prehistoric aquifer to produce shrimp (http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1158571445150300.xml&coll=2). Thomas Spencer (tspencer@bhamnews.com). September 18, 2006.

United States
Massachusetts--Aqua Bounty

Aqua Bounty Technologies, Inc., a biotechnology company that develops products to manage health and increase productivity in the fast-growing aquaculture sector, reports:

• Commercial field trials of Shrimp IMS continue to demonstrate its effectiveness. A recent trial in Ecuador showed improved survival rates of between 27% and 47% and an average increase in profitability of 32% for shrimp farmers.

• The White Spot Virus inhibitor VPX is scheduled for a commercial-size field trial in November 2006.

R.J. Clothier, Chairman of the Board, says: This is Aqua Bounty's first interim report as a listed company and covers the first half of 2006 (a combination of our final quarter as a privately held corporation and our first quarter as a public company).

• We have submitted IMS Registration packages to ten major shrimp producing countries where rapid approvals are likely: two in Asia (Indonesia and Malaysia) and eight in Latin America (Belize, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama and Venezuela). The identification of commercial partners in each of these countries has begun and extensive field trials to be paid for by the prospective licensees are expected to begin in the fourth quarter.

Information: Henry Clifford and Joseph McGonigle at Aqua Bounty Technologies (phone 781-899-7755).

Information: Alexandra Walton and Daniel de Belder, Bell Pottinger Corporate and Financial, 6th Floor, Holborn Gate 330, High Holborn, London WC1V 7QD, United Kingdom (phone 44-20-7861-3868, fax 44-20-7861-3993, webpage www.bpcf.co.uk).

Source: Email from Alexandra Walton, account executive at Bell Pottinger Corporate and Financial (representing Aqua Bounty Technologies). News Release. Interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2006. September 20, 2006.

United States
South Carolina--Bait Shrimp

Congratulations to Craig Browdy, Ph.D., of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, for his NOAA National Marine Aquaculture Initiative Grant of $500,000 for his project, "Commercialization of Bait Shrimp Farming Based on Specific Pathogen-Free Stocks." According to NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, part of the USA Department of Commerce), the goal of this project is to determine the economic feasibility of culturing two native species of shrimp used as bait by recreational fishermen throughout the southeast United States. Specifically, researchers will isolate and reproduce healthy broodstock from the wild, demonstrate commercial production for the two species, and conduct a market evaluation and financial feasibility analysis. The results will be transferred to the private sector through targeted outreach and demonstration projects. Ultimately, the results of the research could relieve pressure on wild shrimp stocks in the United States and provide an economic development opportunity for USA coastal communities.

Information: Craig Browdy, Senior Marine Scientist, Marine Resources Research Institute, 217 Ft. Johnson Rd., Charleston SC 29422 USA (phone 843-953-9840, fax 843-953-9820, email browdyc@musc.edu).

Source: The website of the United States Marine Shrimp Farming Program (http://www.usmsfp.org). Paula Bender, Editor and Webmaster (pbender@oceanicinstitute.org). Headline News: Waddell's Craig Browdy receives grant for bait shrimp study. September 18, 2006.

Vietnam
Antibiotics

On September 22, 2006, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced that four batches of shrimp from Vietnam (tested on September 18, 2006) contained residues of chloramphenicol and nitrofurans. Japan tests 50 percent of its shrimp imports. It plans to impose stricter standards on Vietnam. Japan has long been one of Vietnam's major seafood customers, buying 27 percent of its fisheries exports, second only to the United States.

Source: Thanhniennews.com. Japan increases quality tests on Vietnamese shrimp (http://www.thanhniennews.com/business/?catid=2&newsid=20408). Tuoi Tre and Thanh Nien (translated by Ha Viet). September 23, 2006.