August 23, 2013

Agriculture secretary, Proceso Alcala, said that he had been in talks with shrimp industry producers and had given instructions to Asis Perez, the director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), to complete the industry roadmap within the next two to three weeks in order to implement it.

Two shrimp species, the giant tiger prawn (Paneus monodon) and the white-leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) will play a key role in revamping the country's shrimp industry with the DA grooming the shrimp industry to export both species, Alcala added.

The shrimp industry suffered a major blow earlier in the year when early mortality syndrome bacterial disease, (EMS), struck several Asian countries, decimating local shrimp populations and causing huge economic losses which affect several million locals who depend on the shrimp industry for their livelihood.

The Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre, (SEAFDEC), believes that the Philippines has taken a different path from its neighbours when it comes to the seafood industry by cultivating both the white-leg shrimp and the giant tiger prawn, which the country finds are necessary for the development of the local shrimp industry. 

According to the SEAFDEC, in 2012, the Philippines produced the vannamei variety for the local market while the bigger, native giant tiger prawn was cultivated for export. The strategy proves to be successful so far. However, the two species are in high demand in Japan and the US, Alcala said.

The tiger shrimp variety is larger than other shrimp species and grows fast, reaching up to 14 inches (36 centimetres) and laying more than one million eggs.

Alcala is confident these EMS-resistant shrimp will help the industry to recover.