Country Reports

Bangladesh

Virus Hits Most Shrimp Ponds

In the Khulna District, which produces up to 35 percent of the country’s shrimp exports, an unknown virus has killed 90% of the fry in newly stocked ponds.  Shrimp farmers say the seedstock that they purchased was contaminated with the virus.

In the Satkhira District of southwest Bangladesh, which produces one-half of the country’s shrimp exports, a virus has caused losses of $22 million.  Once attacked, shrimp die within four or five days.  Farmers are either selling small shrimp at throwaway prices—or selling their ponds and getting out of the business to avoid heavy losses.  There are about 17,613 shrimp ponds covering 54,703 hectares in Satkhira.  Khairul Mozaffar Montu, a shrimp farmer, said that about 95 percent of the ponds have been hit by the virus.

Source: 1. Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service).  Shrimp virus wiping out up to 90% of fry in Khulna district of Bangladesh.  John Sackton.  Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com).  September 10, 2008.  2. The Daily Star.  Setback in shrimp sector.  September 13, 2008.

Bangladesh

Dhaka’s PCR Machine

Although a PCR-equipped lab for detecting shrimp viruses was installed in Dhaka a year and a half ago, it is not yet being used to detect shrimp viruses at farms and hatcheries.  Shrimp farmers allege that the lab is not being used because of a secret understanding between fisheries officials and hatchery owners who don’t want to reveal the extent of the virus problem.  Farmers say they face ruination if they can’t get virus-free fry.  Hasanuzzaman Chowdhury, a fisheries official, said the lab couldn’t begin offering services to the industry until the government decides on an appropriate fee for those services.

Source: The New Nation.  Shrimp production target may not be achieved in Satkhira for virus infection in enclosures.  September 10, 2008.

Bangladesh

Comparison of One-Step and Nested PCR

In this study, one-step and nested PCR (polymerase chain reaction) were compared for their ability to detect the whitespot virus in Penaeus monodon.  Out of 60 randomly collected shrimp, 20% were found to be positive for whitespot by one-step PCR, while 30% were found to be positive by nested PCR.

Source: Electronical Larviculture Newsletter.  Editor Gilbert Van Stappen (gilbert.vanstappen@ugent.be).  Prevalence of White Spot Syndrome Virus Infection Detected by One-Step and Nested PCR in Selected Tiger Shrimp (Penaeus monodon) Hatcheries.  Farhana Ayub, Mohamed Samsul Alam (samsul_bau@yahoo.com) and Mohamid Yusuf Sarker (Department of Fisheries Biology and Genetics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh).  Issue 296, September 1, 2008.

Ecuador

World Wildlife Fund’s Shrimp Farming Dialogue

Eric Bernard, program officer and for the World Wildlife Fund’s Shrimp Dialogue meeting in Ecuador, reports:

There is still time to register for the upcoming Shrimp Farming Dialogue that will be held in Guayaquil on October 9 and 10, 2008, in parallel with Aqua 2008.

The agenda for the dialogue meeting will be circulated shortly.  To register, contact Eric Bernard at the address below:

Information: Eric Bernard, Program Officer, Shrimp Dialogue Leader, World Wildlife Fund, 1 Carrefour de Longchamps, 75016 Paris, France (email ebernard@wwf.fr, phone 00-33-6-98-40-53-93).

Source: The Shrimp List (a mailing list for shrimp farmers).  Subject: October Meeting in Guayaquil to Help Create Standards for Responsible Shrimp Farming.  September 22, 2008.

India

Tamil Nadu—Freshwater Prawns

The Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University has received a $32,000 grant from the Ministry of Environment Science to develop freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium spp.) farming in Dindigul, Theni, Madurai, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts.  In addition, a prawn farming technology dissemination center will be established in the city of Tuticorin, where a training program will be conducted three times a year for 45 prospective prawn farmers.  Those who decide to try prawn farming will receive free feed and fry and help with marketing their first crop.  Their farms will then serve as demonstration centers.

Source: The Hindu.  Promotion of freshwater prawn farming planned.  September 14, 2008.

Malaysia/Taiwan

Blogger Reports

On September 12, 2008, the Taiwan Sea Party Group and the Sarawak Timber Industry and Development Centre (STIDC) in East Malaysia signed an agreement to develop aquaculture, farming and food processing activities at the Tanjung Manis Halal Park in Kuching, Sarawak, East Malaysia (on the island of Borneo) over the next three to five years.  A thriving, modern city of around 700,000 people, Kuching is the capital of East Malaysia.  The Sea Party Group will invest more than $583 million in the project.  The proposed investment includes $43 million for biotech shrimp farming, $13 million for a feed mill and $43 million (downstream) for a processing plant.

In collaboration with the National Taiwan Ocean University, Sea Party will also invest $6 million in an R&D center at the Tanjung Manis Halal Park to support its marine and aquaculture industries.  In addition, the Taiwanese Government will offer 20 scholarships a year for Sarawakians to pursue postgraduate studies at the National Taiwan Ocean University.

Several investors from the Middle East and Japan are also interested in investing in the Tanjung Manis Halal Park.

Source: I aM wHo I aM (a blog).  Tanjung Manis Halal Park.  Posted by !!HcLaI@cHoI!!  September 15, 2008.

Mexico

Shrimp Farms Begin Harvest

Ocean Garden Products’ “All Natural” Authentic Mexican shrimp will hit the market soon.  Shrimp fishing fleets and pangas (small, dory-like boats powered by outboard motors) have left their ports for bay, inshore and offshore fishing—and farm harvests will begin in late September!

Ocean Garden, a founding member of Alto Golfo Sustentable (AGS), has been closely involved with Mexican fishermen and NGOs to promote long-term sustainability and socioeconomic balance in the Upper Gulf of California.  AGS was established in 2005 as a monitoring program to eradicate illegal shrimp fishing during the off-season, increase protection of the endangered vaquita porpoise (Phocoena sinus) and improve the efficiency of shrimp fishing in the Upper Gulf of California fishing communities of San Felipe, Puerto Peñasco and the Gulf of Santa Clara.

AGS has become an integral part of comprehensive sustainability efforts in the region.  Recently, Mexican government authorities delivered $15 million to fishermen in the three Upper Gulf of California coastal communities as part of a compensation program to encourage reduced fishing and increased protection of the vaquita porpoise.

This compensation program was the result of long-term efforts by the AGS Executive Committee (Ocean Garden Products, the fishery sector, Mexican government representatives and NGOs) to coordinate efforts with fishermen and government authorities.

Generally, shrimp farmers in northern Mexico produce one crop a year from semi-intensive ponds.  The 170 to 180-day growout cycle produces big shrimp with firm textures.  Large farms in the state of Sonora and northern Sinaloa are built in previously unusable desert areas, former salt flats, with no mangroves.  The industry is highly regulated and managed for the long term.

Source: Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service).  As Mexican shrimp season begins, Ocean Garden marks new conservation milestones.  Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com).  September 16, 2008.

The Netherlands

Lobster

Three Wageningen University students have set up South Sea Exclusive, a company that specializes in sustainable spiny lobster farming in the Philippines.  A number of financial institutions put up $568,000 to get the farm started.  South Sea Exclusive’s lobster will hit the market in two years.  The firm hopes to be the largest producer of spiny lobsters in Southeast Asian by 2015.

Source: Radio Netherlands.nl.  Growing sustainable lobsters to save the world.  Thijs Westerbeek van Eerten (translated by Radio Netherlands).  September 12, 2008.

Saudi Arabia

A Very Critical Situation?

Radhupal (radhupal@yahoo.com): Everyone knows that shrimp farming in the Middle East, mainly Saudi Arabia, is going through a very critical situation.  Can anybody throw some light on the issues, problems and solutions of growing shrimp at high temperatures in high salinity waters?

Haydar H. Al Sahtout (alsahtout@yahoo.com): Would you please elaborate and clarify.  What do you mean by: Everyone knows that shrimp farming in the Middle East, mainly Saudi Arabia, is going through a very critical situation.  We have been developing the shrimp farming industry in Saudi Arabia since 1995, and I don’t agree with your statement.  Do you know something that we don’t know?

Source: The Shrimp List (a mailing list for shrimp farmers).  Subject: Shrimp farming in Middle East.  September 13–18, 2008.

South Africa

Thailand’s CP Plans to Invest in Shrimp Farming

Thailand’s largest agro-industry conglomerate, Charoen Pokphand (CP), plans to invest in shrimp farming in South Africa.  Vasana Mututanont, the director of the Thai Board of Investment’s International Affairs Bureau, said, “CP at present exports a lot of shrimp from India, which is close to South Africa.  Investment in its own project in South Africa is in the pipeline.”

Source: Bangkok Post.  CP looking to expand to South Africa.  Nareerat Wiriyapong.  September 26, 2008.

South Africa

For Sale—Aerators

I have hundreds of unused and new aerators for sale.  I’m in South Africa; the paddlewheels are in Suriname, a small country on the northeast coast of South America.

Source: The Shrimp List (a mailing list for shrimp farmers).  Subject: Paddlewheels available.  From: Laurence Evans (ecotao@yahoo.com).  September 16 and 18, 2008.

South Africa

Did the Press Treat SeaArk Fairly?

A Press Ombudsman’s Panel in South Africa has dismissed most of the complaints brought by SeaArk Africa (developing a billion dollar shrimp farm) and Gavin Watson against the Mail & Guardian, a newspaper in South Africa that criticized SeaArk.

SeaArk argued that the article was inaccurate and defamatory.

The panel ruled that there was one breach of the press code by the newspaper in that it did not give the company an opportunity to respond to one of the allegations in the story.

For the full report on the panel’s ruling, click on the link in the second source below.  The ruling is quite lengthy and does not contain any new information on SeaArk’s shrimp farming activities.  It deals mostly with press issues.

Sources: 1. Press Council.  Bosasa Operations vs Mail & Guardian.  September 12, 2008.  2. Politics Web.  Bosasa, SeaArk, and Gavin Watson versus M&G.  Joe Thloloe, Peter Mann and Ethel Manyaka.  September 11, 2008.  3. Bob Rosenberry, Shrimp News International, September 18, 2008.

Thailand

Maturation—Fish Oil and Astaxanthin Supplements

Abstract: In this study, female (49 grams) and male (37 grams) shrimp (Penaeus monodon) were fed diets supplemented with 3% or 8% fish oil, 100 or 500 milligrams per kilogram astaxanthin, and fresh squid during a 120-day trail.  Four formulated diets were provided with different combinations of high and low concentrations of lipid (fish oil) and astaxanthin.  The researchers found that the addition of fish oil did not significantly (P> 0.05) affect shrimp growth, but there was significantly greater growth among male shrimp fed the higher astaxanthin concentration.  Female shrimp growth was not significantly different at either astaxanthin concentration.  Likewise, there were no significant interactions on growth between fish oil and astaxanthin or fish oil and shrimp gender, but there was significant interaction between astaxanthin and gender.

Reproductive performance, as measured by the number of eggs in gravid females and the number of spermatozoa in male shrimp, was significantly enhanced by higher concentrations of fish oil and astaxanthin.  There was no significant interaction between fish oil and astaxanthin on number of eggs or spermatozoa.  Similarly, there was no significant interaction between fish oil and astaxanthin or fish oil and astaxanthin concentrations in shrimp muscle, hepatopancreas, ovaries or shell tissues.  Astaxanthin concentrations in these respective tissues were similar for both levels of dietary fish oil.  There were, however, significant interactions between astaxanthin and shrimp gender.  Greater dietary astaxanthin concentration resulted in significantly greater astaxanthin concentration in female shrimp muscle, hepatopancreas and ovarian tissues, but not in their shells.  Female shrimp had significantly greater astaxanthin concentration in hepatopancreas tissue compared to males, but not in their muscle or shells.

Shrimp fed diets containing high levels of fish oil and astaxanthin had significantly greater amounts of fatty acid (both PUFA and total n-3 HUFA) concentrations in muscle and ovary tissues.  Concentrations of fatty acids in the hepatopancreas were significantly greater in shrimp fed a diet containing high levels of fish oil.  The researchers concluded that dietary supplementation of formulated diets with 8% fish oil (12% total lipid) and at least 280 milligrams per kilogram of astaxanthin will significantly improve the Penaeus monodon maturation and spawning success.

Source: Electronical Larviculture Newsletter.  Editor Gilbert Van Stappen (gilbert.vanstappen@ugent.be).  Improved Maturation of Pond-Reared, Black Tiger Shrimp (Penaeus monodon) Using Fish Oil and Astaxanthin Feed Supplements.  Chalee Paibulkichakul, Somkiat Piyatiratitivorakul (psomkiat@chula.ac.th), Patrick Sorgeloos and Piamsak Menasveta (Center of Excellence for Marine Biotechnology, Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand).  Issue 295, August 15, 2008.

United Kingdom

Lobster Hatcheries

The Scottish Seabird Centre wants to set up a lobster hatchery and lobster research facility in North Berwick to produce juveniles for stocking the local fishery.  Charlie Marshall, fund raiser and development manager at the Scottish Seabird Centre, said: “We plan to get the hen lobsters from local fishermen and keep them in tanks until the eggs hatch.  We would then return the hens and keep the fry in tanks.”  The estimated cost of setting up the hatchery is between $360 and $540 thousand.  Once the center is up and running, it will be another five to seven years before fishermen begin catching the released lobsters.  Tom Brock, chief executive of the Seabird Centre, said: “A lot of work and fundraising needs to be done to turn the idea into a reality.”

Marshall and Brock plan to visit the UK’s National Lobster Hatchery in Padstow, England, which is a successful commercial venture.  It releases around 12,000 late-juvenile lobsters along the Cornish coastline every year.  The UK’s only other lobster hatchery—Europe’s largest—is in the Orkney Islands, off the northeast coast of Scotland.  It releases 65,000 juvenile lobsters annually.

Source: News.Scotsman.com.  Plan hatched to help lobsters claw their way back to Forth.  Fay Winter.  September 15, 2008.

United States

Virginia—Blue Ridge Aquaculture

On September 9, 2008, Bill Martin, the president of Blue Ridge Aquaculture unveiled plans for a $40 million expansion that will more than double production at its Martinsville production facility, which produces mostly tilapia, but also cobia, shrimp and now spiny lobster.

Bill Martin, the company’s president, said the expansion will make use of membrane technology to filter and reuse its water.  Martin said the new membrane technology “will make us green as a gourd” because it will eliminate discharge and waste.  The system is set up to first remove solids through a series of filters before the water flows through the membrane system.  “This membrane technology will enable us to just keep using” the same water, Martin said, and that will dramatically cut water usage.  Solids or other impurities removed from the water will be recycled and used in the production of biodiesel fuels and other types of feeds, Martin said.

Construction is expected to begin after January 1, 2009, and about 20 additional employees will be needed when things are up and running, Martin said.

The Martinsville site also includes Virginia Shrimp Farms, a $3 million, 30,000-square-foot pilot facility designed to research shrimp production.  Martin said he got the idea for that project while riding an elephant in Thailand.  He stopped to watch tilapia being harvested from a pond and “out comes this big shrimp”, he said.  When he asked how the shrimp was grown and what type of feed was used, Martin said he was told: “We don’t feed him.  The fish do.”  He then realized the shrimp flourished on fish waste, and he had an epiphany to incorporate a similar operation in Martinsville.  USDA contributions will fund Virginia Tech researchers to “evaluate technology, management practices and distribution channels for shrimp.”

Source: Martinsville Bulletin.  Fishery Set to Expand.  Debbie Hall.  September 10, 2008.

United States

Washington, DC—FDA’s First Ever User-Fee Program for Antibiotics

On September 15, 2008, The Food and Drug Administration announced user rates for the fiscal year 2009 Animal Generic Drug User Fee Act of 2008 (AGDUFA).  This Act amends the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by authorizing the first ever generic animal drug user-fee program.  AGDUFA authorizes FDA to collect user fees for certain abbreviated applications for  generic new animal drugs, generic new animal drug products and certain sponsors of such abbreviated applications for generic new animal drugs and investigational submissions for generic new animal drugs.

For fiscal year 2009, the fee is $41,400 per application for an abbreviated generic new animal drug application for which safety or effectiveness data are required.  The annual product fee is $3,005, the annual sponsor fee is $56,350 for each generic new animal drug sponsor paying 100 percent of the sponsor fee; $42,265 for each generic new animal drug sponsor paying 75 percent of the sponsor fee; and $28,175 for a generic new animal drug sponsor paying 50 percent of the sponsor fee.

Currently, the Food and Drug Administration is unable to collect user fees because Congress has not yet appropriated funds for the Animal Generic User Fee Program.  FDA states in the Federal Register notice of September 15, 2008, that there will be a subsequent notice once appropriations have been granted and that this notice will provide payment instructions and payment procedures.

Information: Bryan Walsh, Center for Veterinary Medicine (HFV-10), Food and Drug Administration, 7529 Standish Place, Rockville, MD 20855 USA (phone 240-276-9730, fax 240-276-9115, webpage http://www.fda.gov/cvm).  You can send email questions to the Center for Veterinary Medicine at cvmagdufa@fda.hhs.gov.

Source: USA Food and Drug Administration’s Website.  Center for Veterinary Medicine.  FDA Announces FY 2009 Animal Generic Drug User Fee Rates.  September 15, 2008.

Vietnam

Prices Drop Because Processors Can’t Arrange Financing

Giant tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) prices are dropping dramatically in the Mekong Delta because processors don’t have the money to purchase shrimp from farmers.

Currently, big shrimp (30 count per kilo) are selling at $4.82 a kilo.  Huynh Ngoc Tua, Director of the Vinh Loi Import-Export Company (Vimex) in Bac Lieu Province, said that even though shrimp prices have been decreasing, the company cannot purchase shrimp because it cannot arrange bank financing.  Interests rates on financing have skyrocketed while prices for shrimp have not increased because of the global economic crisis.

Ngo Van Nga, General Director of Quoc Viet Company, Ltd., said that in August 2008, his company exported 800 tons of shrimp worth $7.4 million to the European Union, Australia and Asian countries, a lower volume than the same period in 2008.

Source: Vietnam Net Bridge.  Shrimp prices dropping, but businesses have no money to buy.  September 15, 2008.

Vietnam

Spiny Lobster Farming Symposium

An international symposium on the aquaculture of spiny lobster will be held in Nha Trang (central coast) on December 9-10, 2008.  The main objective of the symposium is to evaluate sustainable spiny lobster aquaculture developments in Vietnam, Indonesia and Australia.  The symposium is aimed at researchers, academics, suppliers, feed companies and provincial and government aquaculture extension/regulatory officers.  Presentations are welcome from participants who have done work on tropical lobster farming.  The symposium will be conducted in English, and there is no registration fee, but attendees must cover their own travel and accommodation costs.

Information: Kevin.williams@csiro.au.

Source: Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific Webpage.  International Symposium on Spiny Lobster Aquaculture (http://www.enaca.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1765).  Posted by Simon Wilkinson.  August 24, 2008.

Vietnam

Dumping Duties Increased, Not Reduced to Zero as Expected

On September 9, 2008, after its second review (covering the period from February 1, 2006, to January 31, 2007) of dumping duties in Vietnam, the USA Department of Commerce announced in the Federal Register that it’s restoring dumping duty rates of 4.57 percent for numerous Vietnamese shrimp exporters.

Companies receiving the 4.57 percent rate include Amanda Foods, Ltd., Cadovimex Seafood Import-Export and Processing Joint Stock Co., Cafatex Fishery Joint Stock Corp., Can Tho Agricultural and Animal Product Import Export Co., Cuulong Seaproducts Co. and Danang Seaproducts Import Export Corp.

Some companies—including Minh Phat Seafood, Co., Ltd., and Camau Frozen Seafood Processing Import Export Corp—were found not to be dumping and will not have to pay any dumping duties.

The countrywide rate for companies that haven’t been issued specific rates remained at 25.76 percent.

Source: SeafoodSource.com.  DOC Reissues Antidumping Duty Rates for Vietnamese Shrimp.  September 10, 2008.

Vietnam

Shrimp Industry’s Response to New Dumping Duties

Truong Dinh Hoe, Secretary General of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said that the final decision by the USA Department of Commerce (DOC) on exempting only four Vietnamese frozen warm-water shrimp export and processing companies from anti-dumping tariffs would make Vietnamese shrimp less competitive in world markets.

Hoe said that the decision was really a surprise to Vietnamese seafood producers and exporters.

Under the DOC’s final decision, only four Vietnamese companies will be exempted from the anti-dumping tax, while 23 companies will bear the tax rate of 4.57% and two other companies will be taxed 25.76%.

Prior to that, the preliminary decision by DOC said that the tax rate on 28 Vietnamese companies would be lowered to 0%.

The final decision by DOC will burden Vietnamese shrimp companies in their competition with big rivals like Thailand and India, which initially had higher tax rates than Vietnam, but now they have lower tax rates than Vietnam.

After the second administrative review, the anti-dumping tax rate on Indian companies was lowered to 1.69%.  Meanwhile, DOC also announced the final dumping tax rate of 3.18% on Thai companies, a sharp decrease from the previously applied level of 6.09%.

Currently, the biggest challenge of Vietnamese shrimp industry is the competition with regional countries that farm white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei), which has become a favorite among farmers around the world.  Thailand and China both have experience in white shrimp farming, while Vietnam is just beginning to work with white shrimp.  VASEP said the final decision by DOC would not keep USA importers away from Vietnamese products.  Shrimp exports are expected to reach $1.5 billion in 2008, about the same as last year.

Source: Vietnam Net Bridge.  Anti-dumping tax makes Vietnamese shrimp less competitive.  Huong Giang.  September 12, 2008.

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