January 10, 2007

 

Philippines lifts ban on import, culture of vannamei shrimps

 

 

Philippine Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap has lifted the ban on the import and culture of live shrimps and prawns, paving the way for the entry of Pacific white shrimp or "Peneaus vannamei" into the country.

 

Yap issued Fisheries Administrative Order No. 225 which allows the entry of vannamei shrimps into the country after results of the intensive studies undertaken for almost two years on the variety proved positive.

 

Yap said trial results ensured the safety of culture of the species and assured no negative effects on aquaculture biodiversity and the possibility of the disease that will infect local stocks.

 

The secretary added the re-introduction of P. vannamei shrimps in local fisheries will boost the industry and heighten production which reached its peak at 94,000 metric tonnes in 1994.

 

Yap noted that while significant progress have been made in the farming of milkfish, tilapia and seaweeds, the growth of the shrimp industry has remained stagnant.

 

P. vannamei grows faster than the local black tiger prawns or 'sugpo', and requires less expensive low-protein food, thus, giving high hopes for shrimp farmers for a higher income and production.

 

In 2001, the Department of Agriculture barred the entry of P. vannamei stocks into the country to protect the local black tiger prawn from the dreaded "Taura virus" that had nearly wiped out shrimp farms in Japan, Taiwan and Thailand at that time.

 

In 2005, Director Malcolm Sarmiento of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources decided to conduct experiment trials on the propagation of US-bred P. vannamei at its research facility in Bonuan and Dagupan City in Pangasinan, to explore the possible re-entry of this specie.

 

With the research yielding positive results, Sarmiento said the country can corner the US market from P. vannamei since it is the preferred variety of the American consumers.

 

He said there is also strong demand for P. vannamei in Taiwan, Thailand and mainland China, which is the world's biggest producer of this shrimp specie with a yield of over 300,000 MT in 2003 alone. P. vannamei production is also booming in the US, Venezuela and Brazil.