Moana Domesticates Tigers

In 1999, with the highest financial investment ever made in shrimp breeding, Moana Technologies, LLC, founded in Belgium by Flor Indigne, brought together the largest and most diverse gene pool of specific pathogen-free Penaeus monodon broodstock in the world.  Over the last eight years, using a family-based selective breeding program, Moana has quietly domesticated P. monodon, the giant tiger shrimp.  It will begin marketing genetically improved and specific pathogen-free monodon postlarvae in Vietnam in February 2008 and in Thailand and India in July 2008.

Headquartered in Hong Kong, Moana operates in six countries.  Its biosecure shrimp breeding facility on the Big Island of Hawaii (USA) ships postlarvae to its multiplication centers in Vietnam, Thailand and India.  The multiplication centers grown the shrimp to adult size, bred them, hatch them and then sell postlarvae to farmers.  Maona is planning multiplacation centers for elsewhere in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

Information: Suzy Horemans, General Manager, Moana Technologies, LLC (phone 808-331-2704, fax 808-331-2457, email s.horemans@moanatech.com, webpage www.moanatech.com).

Information: Moana (ASIA) Limited, 218/47-48, 4th Floor, Geneva Building, Lakeview Condominium, Muang Thong Thani, Bond Street, T. Bangpood, A. Pakkred, Nonthaburi 11120, Thailand (phone 66-2961-0207, fax 66 2961 0208, email moana@moanatech.com, webpage www.moanatech.com).

Sources: 1. Moana Technologies, LLC.  News Release.  Sustainable and Safe Black Tiger Shrimp Seed Will Increase Profit of Farmers.  August 29, 2007.  2. Moana’s webpage on September 2, 2007.

Thai Shrimp Farmers Rebut Article
in the Wall Street Journal

On August 22, Bunjonk Nissapawanich, president of the Thai Eastern Shrimp Farmers’ Association, said that all shrimp farmers in Thailand should join with government agencies to take action against misleading information published in The Wall Street Journal Asia on July 25, 2007, under the headline, The New Wal-Mart Effect: Cleaner Thai Shrimp Farm.

The article said Rubicon Resources, a Los Angeles-based supplier of farmed shrimp to Wal-Mart, had bought and upgraded roughly 150 small shrimp farms in Thailand out of concern for environmental and social standards.

The article, without attribution, also said 80 percent of small independent Thai shrimp farms “lack the resources to make necessary upgrades or balk at the certification fees as costs they likely won’t recover.  That could widen the gap between the haves and have-nots in Thai shrimp farming and world aquaculture as a whole.”

Thai shrimp farmers have submitted an open letter to the director-general of the Fisheries Department requesting that the agency refute the article and inform the world that the Thai shrimp industry has continued to upgrade standards, with or without Wal-Mart.

According to Bunjonk, the story is totally false and a big slap in the face for the Department of Fisheries.  The shrimp industry has continuously developed and improved throughout its 20-year existence.  As for the claim that Wal-Mart contributes to the success and cleanliness of Thai shrimp farming, Bunjonk said, “the information is far from the truth and it creates a negative image of the Thai shrimp industry.” He also said:

Firstly, the article implies that 80% of small independent Thai shrimp farms are below standard and use antibiotics in shrimp farming.  This is not true.  The Thai shrimp industry has continuously developed and improved for over 20 years.  To date, Thai shrimp is well known and well received by the world consumers for its high quality, safety integrity and traceability.  This is due to the sustainable standard implemented by the Department of Fisheries and practiced by all shrimp farmers through the Code of Conduct (COC) and Good Aquaculture Practices (GAP).  All Thai shrimp farms use closed systems and probiotics and operate under stringent supervision of the Department of Fisheries.  The success of the Thai shrimp industry is due to the Department of Fisheries—not Wal-Mart—and we are most grateful.

Secondly, the significant increase in the acreage of Thailand’s mangroves is not due to Wal-Mart.  For example in 1965, there were 167,366 hectares of mangroves; in 2000 the mangrove area grew to 244,159 hectares, an increase of 76,792 hectares, 46%.  The continued increasing trend is clearly noticeable.  This is a concerted effort of shrimp farmers, shrimp farming associations, various educational institutions and agencies that are concerned with the importance of the biodiversity of the mangroves.  They have been replanting mangroves for the past 20 years.  Moreover, the intensive shrimp farming of Thailand is considered the most environmentally friendly shrimp farming compared to other shrimp producing countries.

Thirdly, the article mentions that a trading partner of Wal-Mart in Chanthaburi Province has adopted shrimp farming standards resulting in cleaner shrimp farms.  The Department of Fisheries, shrimp farmers and all those involved in the shrimp farming industry know that this is not true.  The claim that $2 million was spent to purchase 150 farms is not correct either.  It is impossible to pay only $13,400 for one farm.  The amount is enough to purchase only 150 ponds.  This clear intention to mislead and create a false image for self-benefit is revolting.

Sources: 1. The Nation.  Shrimp farmers dispute Wal-Mart (http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/08/23/business/business_30046118.php).  August 23, 2007.  2. Email to Shrimp News International from Bunjonk Nissapawanich (shrimp_hatch@hotmail.com), president of Thai Eastern Shrimp Farmer’s Association, on August 22, 2007.  Attachment: Progress of Thai Shrimp Industry is Not Due to Wal-Mart.

Toxic Algae in Shrimp Ponds

A Discussion from the Shrimp List

Craig Browdy (browdyc@dnr.sc.gov): I just read an article by Alonso-Rodriguez and Paez-Osuna entitled Nutrients, Phytoplankton, and Harmful Algal Blooms in Shrimp Ponds (Aquaculture 219-317-336).

We have found some interesting and sometimes scary critters in our shrimp systems over the past year or two, but have never really traced mortality or slow growth back to a specific algal toxin.  Most shrimp farmers have likely experienced DO problems associated with a crash of a particularly rich algal bloom, but I was hoping to get some feedback from you shrimpies on specific experiences with algal toxins in shrimp systems.

If this is a common problem why isn’t it more discussed in trade and academic circles?  If it is not a problem, why isn’t it, since we have such nutrient-rich systems?

David Griffith (dgriffith@caribbeanshrimp.com): Growers in Ecuador experienced heavy mortalities early this year (December 2006 to January 2007) of shrimp in polyculture with tilapia due to a massive bloom of Chattonella in the Gulf of Guayaquil.  As far as I am aware the bloom affected only shrimp in polyculture with tilapia in a rather limited area.  Tilapia and shrimp in monoculture were not affected.  The mode of action was not identified, but gills of moribund shrimp were found to be heavily infested with the flagellate.

I have also seen (many years ago in Peru) heavy mortalities in larvae caused by chain-forming dinoflagellates with very large cells.  The chains, which form a mucilage sheath, are visible to the naked eye, albeit with a good squint, and cause molting problems in zoea, mysis and early postlarval stages.

Gintautas Stasys Zavadzkas (gleon@yahoo.com): While working for OceanBoy Farms in Florida, we had several low-salinity (2-4 ppt) ponds that showed the typical symptoms of hemolytic enteritis.  The lab showed Vibrio—and lots of toxic algae, composed of several different species, none of which were predominant, but the percent of toxic algae was over 60%, creating the enteritis, weakening the shrimp and stimulating an opportunistic attack of Vibrio.

In Texas, zero-exchange systems have had Vibrio problems, but I don’t know if any of them did algae profiles.

Systems that received no natural light experience Vibrio mortalities that were resolved with probiotics, but that’s not so easy to do when you have toxic algae.

Pablo Intriago Legarda (sffarming@yahoo.com): Besides one report of the presence of Gymnodinium catenatum, a PSP dinoflagellate associated with the 2000 La Niña, we have not seen toxic dinoflagellates in Ecuador.  On the other hand, reports of toxic red tides in Peru, Chile, both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Mexico and the east coast of USA are common.  Species such as Trifolium alexandrinium, Protogonyaulax, Dinophysis, and in the states the well-known T. brevis and the very toxic strains of Pfeisteria cause most of the problems.  There is not much information on the mode of action of toxins on invertebrates.  There are several studies with zooplankton, for instance, on the effect of feeding a toxic strain of Alexandrinum to copepods. Resistant copepods took longer to develop and fecundity dropped.  It was also found that male copepods are more susceptible to toxic algae than females.

Blooms of the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum have been shown to be the cause of heavy mortalities of oyster larvae in hatcheries in Virginia and Maryland.

There are a few reports on the effect of some strains of Oscillatoria on Penaeus larvae, as far as I remember, a couple of these studies reported hemolytic enteritis.

Source: The Shrimp List (a mailing list for shrimp farmers, “shrimp-subscribe@yahoogroups.com”).  Subject: [shrimp] HABs and shrimp culture.  August 14-29, 2007.

Country Reports

Australia

All-Female Penaeus Japonicus

Worldwide, shrimp farmers have developed genetically superior stocks through selective breeding programs, and now they are looking for ways to protect their genetic investment.  Producing sterile shrimp is one technique that could provide a form of genetic copyright, while also preventing escapees from mating with wild shrimp.

Studies on polyploidy have demonstrated that altered gender ratios are often observed as a side effect of inducing sterility.  Accordingly, in Australia, research efforts have been focused on developing sterile, all-female Penaeus japonicus to protect genetic resources and improve farm profits—P. japonicus females grow 30% larger than males.

Australian researchers have investigated three different approaches to producing all-female and/or sterile shrimp: polyploidy, irradiation and genetic engineering.

Studies show that triploid japonicus produced by stopping polar body II (PBII) extrusion are almost all female and sterile, and have comparable growth performance to their diploid female siblings.  However, inductions never result in 100% triploid progeny because of the inherent variation in the timing of egg fertilization.

Producing triploids by the mating of tetraploids with diploids may provide a solution to these variable induction rates.  Recent research in this area demonstrated that tetraploid japonicus embryos could be produced by stopping the first mitotic division; however, the tetraploid embryos are not viable.

Irradiation research demonstrates that the ability of male and female japonicus to produce viable offspring is significantly reduced when irradiated at the postlarval or adult stage.  While sub-lethal irradiation doses reduce reproductive capacity, they don’t confer 100% sterility.

The Australian researchers also assessed the potential of using genetic engineering to control gender and fertility in japonicus.  Initially, they isolated and characterized two candidate genes (a vasa-like gene and a dsx homologue) that are known to be involved in gender and fertility determination in other invertebrate species.  Using real-time PCR, they demonstrate that these genes are expressed differentially throughout embryonic, larval and postlarval development, indicating that their functional role is critical during these key developmental phases.  Using an RNAi approach, they aim to silence candidate gene expression during these key developmental periods and assess the resulting loss-of-function genotypes.

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, webpage www.was.org).

Source: World Aquaculture Society.  The CD of the Asian-Pacific Aquaculture Abstracts (Hanoi, Vietnam, August 2007).  Techniques to Produce Sterile, All-Female Shrimp: Current Findings from Penaeus japonicus Research.  Melony J. Sellars (melony.sellars@csiro.au) and Nigel P. Preston (CSIRIO Marine and Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 120, Cleveland, Queensland, Australia 4163).

Bangladesh

Job

The ECMT Group needs a shrimp hatchery technician to work with Penaeus monodon.  Salary depends on experience.  Closing date September 25, 2007.  Requirements: 3-5 years of hands-on experience.  Able to handle the production of 500 million PLs and work with a team.

Information: Dr. Shariff Ishaque (phone 0091-680222571, email ishaq7@usa.net).

Source: AquaNic (The Aquaculture Network Information Center, a gateway to the world’s electronic aquaculture resources, http://aquanic.org/index.htm).  Jobs Directory (http://www.aquanic.org/Text/job_serv.htm)/In cooperation with the WAS Employment Service.  Search jobs (http://aquanic.org/jobs/search.asp).  Shrimp hatchery technician (http://aquanic.org/jobs/jobinfo.asp?jobid=2546).  Posted August 27, 2007.

China

Exports from Guangdong Province Down 24%

Guangdong, the country’s largest shrimp-farming center, announced a sharp fall in shrimp exports to the USA after a series of global food scares.  In July 2007, shrimp exports were down 24.2 percent from July 2006, and exports to European markets dropped 61 percent.  Authorities blamed “trade protectionism” for the sharp decrease.

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service).  Guangdong’s shrimp exports to U.S. off 24.2 percent in July.  Ken Coons (phone 781-861-1441, email kencoons@seafood.com).  Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com).  August 23, 2007.

Ecuador

Exports—Volume Up, Prices Down

In 2006, Ecuador was the second largest exporter of shrimp to the USA (after Thailand), accounting for 128 million pounds (worth $332 million) or 16 percent of all USA shrimp imports.  The volume of Ecuadorian shrimp imports has continued to increase every year, from 57 million pounds in 2001 to 128 million pounds in 2006.  The average value per pound, however, has fallen steadily each year, from $3.93 per pound in 2001 to $2.59 per pound in 2006.  That trend continued in the first half of 2007 with Ecuadorian shrimp import prices falling to $2.37 per pound on average.

Source: Email from Deborah Long (phone 785-539-5218, email deborah@cohesivecommunications.com) to Shrimp News International.  Subject: SSA Responds to DOC’s Removal of Ecuadorian Shrimp Duties.  August 28, 2007.

Guatemala

Pescanova Paid $11 Million for Ladex

Pescanova, the largest shrimp distributor in Europe, has purchased Ladex Corp, which offers shrimp fishermen and farmers in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and Venezuela a way to band together and market their products in the USA and Europe.  Pescanova paid $11 million for Ladex, which has sales of $89 million a year.

Source: SeaFood Business (www.seafoodbusiness.com).  Editor, Fiona Robinson (frobinson@divcom.com).  Biz Briefs.  V-26, N-8, P-8, August 2007.

India

Dumping Duties Lowered

The USA Department of Commerce has lowered the dumping duty on Indian shrimp from 10.54 percent to 7.22 percent.

Source: The Wave (free newsletter version, http://www.intrafish.no/global/newsletter/).  U.S. lowers India’s shrimp antidumping duty rate.  September 7, 2007.  Published by Intrafish.com (newsletter@intrafish.com, an online, subscription-based news service).

India

Biocontrol with Bacteriophages

Abstract: Bacteriophages (virus-like bodies that kill bacteria) have the potential to control bacterial pathogens in shrimp.  This paper reports the isolation of two bacteriophages in the family Siphoviridae that were effective in reducing Vibrio harveyi on biofilms on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) surfaces.  In hatchery trials, bacteriophage treatment resulted in over 85% survival of Penaeus monodon larvae, suggesting that bacteriophages could be an effective alternative to antibiotics in shrimp hatcheries.

Source: Electronical Larviculture Newsletter (http://www.rug.ac.be/aquaculture).  Editor Gilbert Van Stappen (gilbert.vanstappen@rug.ac.be).  Biocontrol of Pathogens in Shrimp Hatcheries Using Bacteriophages.  Indrani Karunasagar (mircen@sancharnet.in), M.M. Shivu, S.K. Girisha, G. Krohne and Iddya Karunasagar (Department of Fishery Microbiology, Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, College of Fisheries, Mangalore 575002, India).  Issue 270, August 1, 2007.

India

New Measures to Increase Prawn and Shrimp Farming

Over the next five years, India hopes to boost shrimp/prawn production by bringing an additional 100,000 hectares of ponds into production.  If each pond produces 1,000 kilos a year, that would mean an additional 100,000 metric tons of shrimp a year.

The Indian government has taken the following measures to boost prawn/shrimp production:

• 429 fish farmer development agencies (FEDAs) and 39 brackish-water fish farmer development agencies (BFDAs) have been set up to provide a package of technical, financial and extension support to prawn/shrimp farmers for production of freshwater prawns (scampi) and marine shrimp.

• Financial assistance will be provided to farmers.

• Coastal states have been asked to review the land lease policy and to make additional areas available for coastal aquaculture.

• Guidelines have been formulated under the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act of 2005 for regulating coastal aquaculture to ensure sustainable development of shrimp aquaculture and good management practices.

• The National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) has approved a proposal to set up a multiplication center (a facility to grow imported P. monodon postlarvae to broodstock for sale to hatcheries) from a Hawaiian firm to produce specific pathogen-free seedstock for shrimp farmers.

• A risk analysis/assessment has been undertaken to study and advise the Government on the pros and cons of introducing exotic shrimp varieties and for suggesting a clear and well-regulated mechanism for importation of stocks of such species.

Source: Domain-b.com.  Government for boosting prawn cultivation (http://www.domain-b.com/economy/agriculture/20070825_cultivation.html).  August 25, 2007.

India

Job

Pallava Aqua Company has a position open for a junior shrimp farm technician at its farm in Nellore, Andhra Pradsesh.

Salary: Negotiable.

Closing Date: September 10, 2007.

Qualifications: M.Sc/B.Sc Fisheries Science/Marine Biology.

Duties: To assist the senior technician at a 100-acre shrimp farm.

Information: Chandrasekar/Edward Danish (phone 9490426001, email hilsaqua@yahoo.co.in, or edanish@yahoo.com).

Source: AquaNic (The Aquaculture Network Information Center, a gateway to the world’s electronic aquaculture resources, http://aquanic.org/index.htm).  Jobs Directory (http://www.aquanic.org/Text/job_serv.htm)/In cooperation with the WAS Employment Service.  Search jobs (http://aquanic.org/jobs/search.asp).  Shrimp Farm Junior Technician (http://aquanic.org/jobs/jobinfo.asp?jobid=2556).  Posted September 5, 2007.

Madagascar

World Wildlife Fund Shrimp Standards

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which operates in more than 100 countries, employs 4,000 people and advocates “a future in which humans live in harmony with nature” has received a one-year, $1 million grant from the Packard Foundation (http://www.packard.org/home.aspx) to develop global aquaculture standards—and it’s already working with shrimp farmers in Madagascar and Belize on the development of the shrimp standards!

In Madagascar, WWF says the shrimp aquaculture certification program should include, but not be limited to the following:

• The standards should apply to the whole industry in the country rather than a few select producers.

• They should be developed taking into consideration the requirements, concerns and preferences of the European market.

• In addition to addressing the main environmental impacts known to be an issue with shrimp aquaculture in general, the program should also address labor and more general social issues, as well as socioeconomic development.

• The standards should be accepted by and developed with participation from the wide range of all stakeholders.

• They should be transparent.

• They should relate to larger principles and criteria and, whenever possible, should be measurable and show improvement over baseline information.

Information: Jason Clay, World Wildlife Fund, 1250 24th Street, NW, Washington DC 20037-1193 (phone 202-778-9691, email jason.clay@wwfus.org, webpage http://www.wwf.org).

Information: Fidy Olivier Ralison, Office Manager, WWF Madagascar and West Indian Ocean Programme Office, B.P. 738, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar (phone 261-20-22-34885).

Source: World Wildlife Fund Website.  Standard Development for Responsible Shrimp Aquaculture (http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/africa/where/madagascar/index.cfm?uProjectID=MG0907).  Published February 6, 2007.  Site visit on August 30, 2007.

New Caledonia

Cage Culture

Scientific research on shrimp farms gets tricky because husbandry, water quality, larval quality, natural food and pond sediments vary from pond to pond and cloud research results.  To overcome the variability, it is necessary to have several ponds for replicates and huge amounts of experimental shrimp from the same batch.  These conditions are difficult and rarely achieved.  To circumvent those difficulties, the Aquaculture Laboratory of New Caledonia (IFREMER) uses floating cages in one pond to rear all treatments and replicates.

In this study, floating cages were used to evaluate the effects of a commercial lactic acid probiotic (P. acidilactici, strain MA 18/5M CNCM) on the survival and growth of Penaeus stylirostris reared over 74 days in 20 cages in two commercial ponds affected by summer vibriosis.  The results indicated that probiotic treatment significantly increased survival, yield and food conversion ratio.  Detection of the shrimp pathogen Vibrio nigripulchritudo in the hemolymph of the shrimps was reduced by the probiotic treatment.  The highest mortalities occurred in the control ponds.

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, webpage www.was.org).

Source: World Aquaculture Society.  The CD of the Asian-Pacific Aquaculture Abstracts (Hanoi, Vietnam, August 2007).  Development of an original tool for shrimp culture studies using floating cages in earthen ponds.  First trial carried out to evaluate lactic acid probiotic (Bactocell®) in shrimp Litopenaeus stylirostris reared in commercial farm subject to vibriosis.  Authors L. Chim, M. Castex, N. Wabete, P. Lemaire, D. Pham and P. Brunemail (IFREMER, Department d’ Aquaculture en Calédonie, B.P. 2059, 98846 Nouméa, New Caledonia).

Thailand

CP Group May Supply Shrimp Sausage to 7-Eleven

Thailand’s largest agro-industrial conglomerate, the Charoen Pokphand Group, through its subsidiary, Charoen Pokphand Foods, is active in all aspects of international shrimp farming (feeds, hatcheries, farms, processing and marketing).  It is negotiating with Southland Ito-Yokado, which operates 7-Eleven convenience stores in the United States, to become its supplier for shrimp sausages.

CP Group executive vice chairman Sarasin Viraphol said if the deal were concluded, CP would start supplying the product in 2008.

With about 4,000 stores, 7-Eleven is the biggest convenience store chain in the USA.

Sarasin said the CP Group was expanding its business in the USA through several activities, such as establishing partnerships with USA food enterprises.

Source: The Nation.  CP Group seeks to supply US 7-Elevens with sausages (http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/08/29/business/business_30046907.php).  Petchanet Pratruangkrai.  August 29, 2007.

Thailand

Shrimp—As Good as Money in the Bank

With shrimp prices on the skids, a nationwide program has been established that will allow registered shrimp farms to use their shrimp as collateral for loans.  The shrimp will be stored in one of seven cold storage units around the country.

In Phuket (southwestern Thailand), the Phuket Internal Trade Office (PITO) has joined the program.  Somphot Sangkhapong, PITO’s chief, said his office will accept Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) from any farmer that wants a loan.

The program requires 40 to 60 shrimp per kilogram, priced between $3.22 and $4.29 per kilogram, with a total value not exceeding $61,347.  Shrimp farmers will be able to make deposits until October 2007.  They have four months to withdraw their stock after deposit.

Somphot said that about 109 tons of shrimp, valued at $469,308 have been deposited by nine farmers in Phuket.

This is the second attempt in Phuket to help farmers hit by low prices.  The first attempt—The Blue Flag Shrimp Festival—has been running for two months at three locations.  On average, the shrimp festival has sales of 1.5 tons a day, at an average price of $4.29 per kilogram.

Source: Phuket Gazette.  Loans offered to hard-hit shrimp farmers (http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/index.asp?fromsearch=yes&Id=5900).  August 21, 2007.

United States

Kentucky—Job

Magnolia Shrimp, LLC, is looking for a shrimp hatchery technician with experience in intensive floc systems.

Requirements: BS biological sciences, MS a plus.  At least three years hands on experience in shrimp maturation and larval rearing of Penaeus vannamei.  Experience with intensive heterotrophic floc systems a definite plus.  Please do not apply if you do not have a USA work permit.

Salary: $35,000 to $40,000 depending on experience.

Closing Date: September 27, 2007.

Information: Brian M. Boudreau (phone 270-792-9288, email brianboudreau01@yahoo.com).

Source: AquaNic (The Aquaculture Network Information Center, a gateway to the world’s electronic aquaculture resources, http://aquanic.org/index.htm).  Jobs Directory (http://www.aquanic.org/Text/job_serv.htm)/In cooperation with the WAS Employment Service.  Search jobs (http://aquanic.org/jobs/search.asp).  Shrimp Hatchery Technician/Intensive floc systems (http://aquanic.org/jobs/jobinfo.asp?jobid=2547).  Posted: August 29, 2007.

United States

Louisiana—World Aquaculture Society Contacts

The membership directory at the WAS web site is a great resource for tracking down aquaculture folks.  It is constantly updated and includes over 2,000 listings.  It’s for members only, but if you don’t want to become a full member, which includes the magazine World Aquaculture and access to the Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, you can become an e-member for very little money and have access to the resources on the home page.  These include meeting abstracts and excellent discounts on books at the WAS store.  The savings from the purchase of just one book easily pays for a year’s e-membership.

Information: Carol Mendoza, Director WAS Home Office, 143 J.M. Parker Coliseum, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA (phone 225-578-3137, fax 225-578-3493, email carolm@was.org, webpage https://www.was.org/main/default.asp).

Source: The Shrimp List (a mailing list for shrimp farmers, “shrimp-subscribe@yahoogroups.com”).  Subject: RE: [shrimp] e-mail Dr. John A. Hargreaves.  From: Craig Browdy (browdyc@dnr.sc.gov).  August 29, 2007.

United States

Missouri—Wal-Mart Postpones Goal for Certified Shrimp

A report in Fast Company magazine contains an update on Wal-Mart’s efforts to go green.  For shrimp the original 2005 goal was to have all shrimp certified by mid-2007, but now Wal-Mart says its goal is to get 100% of its shrimp suppliers from certified shrimp farms within the next 18 months.  The processing plants have been certified, but not enough farms have been certified to meet Wal-Mart’s demand.

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service).  Wal-Mart revises its timetable to have all shrimp certified.  Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com).  August 30, 2007.

United States

Texas—Harlingen Shrimp Farms

Harlingen Shrimp Farms raises white shrimp exclusively for Whole Foods Market.  In September 2007, Whole Foods will sell the shrimp “fresh” instead of only frozen.

Source: Eats (a blog by foodies at The Dallas Morning News).  Harlingen shrimp at Whole Foods (http://eats.beloblog.com/archives/2007/08/harlingen_shrimp_at_whole_foods.html).  Posted by Kim Pierce.  August 30, 2007.

United States

Virginia—Blue Ridge Aquaculture

Bill Martin, president of Blue Ridge Aquaculture, has embarked on a big experiment to determine if intensive, bio-floc shrimp farming will be profitable in the United States.  “We’ll know in about six months how successful it will be,” nine months at the latest, he said.  If it turns out the way the company hopes, he said, the experiment will revolutionize shrimp farming and might have a “staggering” effect on the local economy, adding hundreds of jobs.  “It will simply change the way the world grows shrimp,” Martin said.

In August 2007, Blue Ridge received air-freighted shrimp broodstock from the Oceanic Institute in Hawaii.  The 8 to 9-inch shrimp were slightly sedated for the trip.  On August 27, 2007, Martin said: “They’re doing extremely well.  They are eating well.  If all goes well, we should have our first group of eggs within 30 days.”

Usually, shrimp broodstock are fed bloodworms, squid and similar foods.  Martin said, “We’ve chosen not to do that.  We don’t want to create problems” with food that comes from the ocean.  Instead, “we went straight to artificial food.”  It consists of a powder that is mixed into a substance the consistency of cake mix, which is formed into worm-like shapes and fed to the shrimp.

The broodstock will produce hundreds of millions of eggs, he said, adding that about three months after the eggs are hatched, he expects to have shrimp in the 25 to 30 shrimp per pound range.

Each rectangular shrimp tank is divided into three sections for small, medium and large shrimp.  The shrimp will be moved from division to division as they grow.

The process, Martin said, “is a giant experiment.”

The company is investing about $3 million in its 30,000-square-foot facility to test this shrimp farming method.  That building in the Martinsville Industrial Park has been under construction for about nine months and should be finished by November 2007.

During the next year, the company will work with Virginia Tech researchers on a USDA-funded study of various aspects of the shrimp operation, including nutrition and efficiency of production.

If the test is successful, it will give the company a blueprint on which to build several similar facilities, a planned ten in all, capable of producing a hundred million pounds of shrimp a year.

Source: Martinsville Bulletin.  Shrimp delivered for ‘giant experiment’ at Blue Ridge (http://www.martinsvillebulletin.com/article.cfm?ID=10423).  August 29, 2007.

Vietnam

BIM Plans to Sell Shares to the Public in 2008

BIM Seafood Joint Stock, Vietnam’s biggest shrimp company, plans to go public in 2008.

“We plan to list BIM Seafood by the end of 2008 or early 2009 on either the domestic or overseas markets,” said Doan Quoc Viet, chairman of Ha Long Investment and Development, BIM Seafood’s parent company.

BIM Seafood, based in the northern port province of Quang Ninh, owns 1,500 hectares of shrimp ponds and expects to process 9,500 tons of shrimp in 2007.

Vietnam earned $3.36 billion from overseas sales of seafood in 2006, almost a tenth of its exports, according to a report by the USA agricultural attaché’s office in Hanoi. The country’s shrimp exports accounted for 44 percent of total seafood shipments last year, the USA office said.

Source: International Herald Tribune.  $800 million raised for property development in India (http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/30/business/sxhousing.php). M.C. Govardhana Rangan (Bloomberg News).  August 30, 2007.