February 14, 2008

Thai workshop finds bio-security and probiotics improves shrimp survivability

Press Release

Improved biosecurity measures, along with the use of probiotics, can bring shrimp survivability from a normal 45 percent to as high as 78 percent, according to research from joint workshop between Thailand's Department of Fisheries and European institutions.

The collaboration found that efficient disinfection and monitoring of microbial load, along with use of probiotics in larviculture, not only led to higher survivability but also faster shrimp development and lower variability between tanks.

The research, carried out at Thailand's Satun coastal fisheries research & development centre, found markedly reduced Vibrio ( a disease-causing bacteria) between the first larvae stage (Zoea 1) and 14-day-old post larval stage (PL14) stages.

The project was funded as part of the EU-Thailand Economic Co-operation, a collaboration between Thailand's Department of Fisheries, Thai shrimp research company SBBU/BIOTEC, the University of Ghent and Belgium's INVE Technologies.

The aim of the project was to produce healthier and safer shrimp without the prophylactic nor therapeutic use of antibiotics and chemicals.

The workshop also reviewed the training and application of new analytical techniques such as the standardized WSSV challenge test that was developed by 3 laboratories of Ghent University in collaboration with INVE Technologies.

Selected biotechnological products and techniques, reviewed by Dr Olivier Decamp (INVE Technologies), were tested under Thai conditions, both in laboratory (SBBU/BIOTEC) and at DOF stations (Songhkla, Satun, Samut Sakhon and Phetchaburi). Regional seminars were also organized during previous months in order to transfer information on new and effective health management practices.