July 2, 2007

 

Hawaiian institute succeeds in raising shrimps in high density

 

 

Researchers at the Oceanic Institute in Hawaii said they have come up with a shrimp that can survive in densely populated waters, a discovery which could open up production to unprecedented levels.

 

The shrimps, derived through selective breeding, could survive at a density of 800 per square metres, ten times the density of normal farms, revealed Shaun Moss, director of the shrimp department.

 

The institute said the shrimp made it possible for the institute to increase its harvest from 1,000 pounds previously to the current 9,000 pounds.

 

The shrimps were harvested when they reached about 20 grammes which is about "medium" size in the industry.

 

The institute, a non profit group, is working with domestic companies to market the technology.

 

Moss said although there is a huge shrimp demand in the US currently, the domestic supply is very small, creating a deficit worth as much as US$3 billion.

 

Questionable food safety practices on the part of foreign producers, as revealed by the FDA's seafood ban on various types of Chinese seafood last week, also highlighted the need to have a safe and reliable source.

 

Even when the shrimps were raised at such high densities, no drugs or chemicals were used on the shrimp at the institute, he said.

 

Moss said one major drawback for commercial shrimp farmers is the high cost of creating their own stock.

 

The Oceanic Institute would supply purchasers with the stock and technology and the farmer would enjoy significant savings benefit from the density and the lesser need to inject new water periodically, Moss added.

 

Moss said that the institute is working towards a domestic shrimp industry which would allow the US consumer to have a quality product which is antibiotic and growth-hormone free

 

Even though shrimp farming in Hawaii is a small industry, with less than US$3 million in annual sales and making up just 10 percent of the value of the state's aquaculture industry, a significant amount of aquaculture research is conducted here.