January 17, 2005

 

 

Hawaii shrimp exports escape tsunami's wrath

 

Hawaii shrimp farms exporting brood stock into Asia say business for the most part remains unaffected by last month's cataclysmic tsunami that severely damaged the region's shrimp-farming industry.

 

Kona Bay Marine Resources Inc. and High Health Aquaculture on the Big Island both raise disease-resistant Pacific white shrimp as brood stock, which they export to Asia. They say it's remarkable their clients have not canceled orders in spite of the tragedy, which wiped out many of the region's farms.

 

Disease-resistant Hawaii-raised shrimp exported out of state are the culmination of years of painstaking study by Hawaii researchers. Kona Bay and High Health are at the forefront of a developing new industry beginning to profit from the export of these animals, which sell for as much as $30 apiece. Kona Bay, which won the Governor's Exporter of the Year award in 2004, can ship as many as 4,000 six- to eight-inch-long Pacific white shrimp brood stock a month. More than 95 percent of the company's shrimp is exported.

 

The United States imports about 90 percent of its shrimp from overseas, primarily from Asian countries, which fight an ongoing battle with shrimp diseases that spread easily due to many of the farms being in close proximity. Disease-resistant Hawaii shrimp are a valued commodity.

 

"From the Hawaii shrimp industry's concern in terms of brood stock, it seems everybody is going forward full blast," said James Wyban, president of High Health Aquaculture. "This year it's going to be very good."

 

High Health began shrimp exports to Thailand this week, but Wyban declined to provide exact numbers for competitive reasons. January marks the beginning of the selling season for the company, which lasts until about March or April.

 

Kona Bay and High Health are two of only three companies in the world with licenses granted by the Thai government to export shrimp brood stock into that country -- the world's largest shrimp producer and biggest exporter of farm-raised shrimp into the United States. Thai exports to the U.S. are estimated at between $1 billion and $2 billion annually. That could change, though, because of the tsunami and a decision by the International Trade Commission last week to impose tariffs against shrimp imports from Thailand, India, China, Vietnam, Brazil and Ecuador.

 

Exactly what impact the tsunami will have on Thailand's long-term shrimp industry is still unknown, but there are reports of many small hatcheries losing everything in the disaster and speculation as to when or if they'll be able to recover.

 

Brian Goldstein, president of Kona Bay Marine Resources, said his company has seen a 20 percent increase in shrimp brood stock orders from Asia customers.

 

"Instead of being negatively affected, we are actually seeing demand for brood stock increase," Goldstein said. "We are completely sold out for the next four months."