April 4, 2014

The experimental sea cage shrimp farm in Puerto Engabao, Ecuador, which is being run by the National Fisheries Institute (INP) under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Aquaculture and Fisheries (MAGAP), has published its first results.

The results show that in 15 days the shrimp increased in size to 600 times their size relative to being planted. This encouraging sign suggests that this type of farming is viable in the country.

The experiment has not been without its problems. A fault in the anchoring system led to a platform and a cage containing 100,000 larvae being washed away.

Puerto Engabao is an ideal location for shrimp farming, since the area is rich in plankton, which has high nutritional value and helps encourage growth.

Technicians also discovered that micro habitats formed around the cage infrastructure, which is similar to what happens in artificial reefs.