February 24, 2006

Shrimps dying en masse in Vietnam's Mekong delta

Farmers and processors in Vietnam's southern Ca Mau province are in a state of upheaval as weather changes wiped out stocks of tom su, a medium-sized prawn, at more than half the farms, a provincial official said Thursday.

About 40 percent of the province's ponds had incurred extensive damage, and up to 80 percent of the stock had been eliminated, Pham Van Duc, director of the Ca Mau Fisheries Department, said.

Changes in weather had altered factors like the ponds' temperatures, acidity and salinity levels, Duc explained. These led to thermal shocks and weakened immunity, rendering the shrimps easy targets for pathogens, he added.

Local processors have been incapacitated by the resulting shrimp shortage which some say may last until April. Meanwhile, shrimp prices have been soaring since early this month.