March 13, 2007

Disease-free shrimps vital for the future of India's shrimp industry

India should consider importing brood stocks of Vannamei shrimp to save the aqua industry, Dr M. Sakthivel, President of the Aquaculture Foundation of India and former chairman of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) said last week.

Sakthivel said the Hawaii Institute of Shrimp had developed a genetically modified, disease-free white shrimp, Vannamei, and several south-east Asian countries were importing the brood stocks to boost production levels.

India is now being left behind by China as it can produce five times more shrimp per hectare at half the cost.

Dr Sakthivel said although the idea of importing foreign species may be unpalatable, there seem to be no other choice.

Indian scientists have made little progress in developing a disease-resistant version of the tiger shrimp and thus import must be considered, he said.

Two companies in Andhra Pradesh had been allowed to import the disease-resistant shrimp species, but the companies had given up due to the red tape involved.