August 3, 2010

Australian scientists to rein in elite prawn breed

Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is working to maintain the breeding control of the elite black tiger prawn, which grows about 20% faster than other farmed tiger prawns.

Three Queensland farms involved want to prevent unlicensed breeding of their valuable prawns, which the organisation took 10 years to create, using DNA and selective breeding.

One farm growing the prawn had average yields this year of 17.5 tonnes per hectare, more than twice the industry average.

Nigel Preston, a CSIRO research scientist, said the aim is to produce single-sex seed stock so prawns can be traded but not bred.

The DNA process used to develop the prawn has been used in the livestock industry for years, but this is the first time it has been applied to prawns. The process can also be used for salmon, abalone, oysters and barramundi.

Australia's aquaculture industry is worth about AUD1 billion (US$0.91 billion), but 70% of the country's seafood is imported.

''We want to grow the industry to several billion dollars so we can provide Australian consumers with more local product,'' said Preston.

The CSIRO has had 22 expressions of interest in its prawn-breeding techniques from aquaculture companies in countries including India and Vietnam.

As technology increases productivity, Preston believes aquaculture could have an important part to play in Australia's food supply in future.

''It's a high-value animal protein grown in drought-proof conditions; there's no shortage of salt water here,'' he said.