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[av_heading heading=’ URBAN FARMER ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY JULIO P. YAP JR.
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LOCALLY farmed prawn could be a vital foreign exchange earner for the country.
The local industry may have been experiencing a setback due to the prevalence of certain viral diseases affecting the vannamei variety.
It is a variety of prawn of the eastern Pacific Ocean that is commonly caught or farmed for food.
Despite the problems confronting the sector, production of vannamei in the Philippines is said to be increasing.
Citing the welcome development, several industry players in the country are now applying particular methods to reduce or prevent the occurrence of diseases, and to improve yields through sound management practices.
Considering that prawn is an important aquaculture commodity, the prawn farm of Ricky Sun in Manapla, Negros Occidental, has already adopted sound management practices and developed their own technologies to boost the local industry.
It was learned that thevannamei variety is very efficient at utilizing the natural productivity of the ponds.
Even the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has said that commercial culture of the said species in several areas showed a rapidly increasing trend, adding that Asia has seen a phenomenal increase in the production of vannamei.
However, due to fears over importation of exotic diseases, many Asian countries have been reluctant to promote the farming of vannamei – its culture remains officially confined to experimental testing only in Cambodia, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, and the Philippines, according to FAO.
Several countries freely permit its commercial culture but have official restrictions, so that only quality and safe broodstock may be imported.
Similarly, some countries have strict quarantine laws or bans to prevent importation of exotic pathogens with new stocks.
The availability of safe broodstock provides a means of avoiding the diseases, although biosecurity procedures are also important, including: thorough drying/scraping of pond bottoms between cycles; reducing water exchange and fine screening of any inlet water; use of bird netting; and, placing barriers around the ponds.
Once viruses do enter the ponds, FAO said that there are no chemicals or drugs available to treat the infections, but good management of pond, water, feed and the health status of stocks can reduce their virulence.
Because of this, farmers are becoming aware of the growing need to farm shrimp or prawn in a responsible, traceable and low impact manner, which can enhance biosecurity, and help protect the environment – producing shrimp in a cost efficient manner.
And in order to continue the growth of local industry smoothly, domestic consumption should be encouraged to supplement the erratic export markets.
Due to the rapid expansion and increasing awareness of the negative impacts of shrimp farming practices on the environment and its own production, many producing countries are now starting to create sincere efforts to comply with the concept of responsible aquaculture as detailed in Article 9 of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF).
The formulation and adoption of Good Aquaculture Practices is gaining prevalence to enhance biosecurity, increase cost efficiency, reduce chemical residues and increase traceability. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)
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