The Hindu : Business : Project to produce disease-free shrimp

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Friday, Mar 21, 2008
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Project to produce disease-free shrimp

Staff Reporter

In association with a U.S. consultant

Tiger prawns are of high export value
Norwegian agency will assist MPEDA

KOCHI: A project for production and domestication of tiger shrimps, taken up at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture, an organisation formed under the aegis of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA). in the Andaman & Nicobar islands has provided encouraging results.

It is being undertaken in association with a U.S.-based consultant, according to MPEDA officials.

The project has been successful in producing two generation of disease-free shrimp in captivity. The facility is protected from external polluting agents by a vigilant team of experts. On completion of the project, it is expected to provide pathogen-free shrimp seeds to farmers.

The project site at Kodiyaghat, about 20 km from Port Blair, is considered as an area of minimum external contamination. The tiger prawns are highly sensitive to polluted environment and the hatcheries in India have been facing severe problems in development of brood stock. Tiger prawns are of high export value and the development of pathogen free shrimp seeds will be of immense help to boost the profit of aquaculture farms.

MPEDA has been authorised by the Coastal Aquaculture Authority to register hatcheries. The process of registration, under established norms, is expected to help the improvement of the quality of shrimp seeds.

Shrimp was the major item of exports in terms of value in the seafood exports registered in 2006-07. This was followed by frozen fish, frozen cuttlefish and frozen squid.

MPEDA has initiated a Mission Mode Programme for augmenting shrimp and scampi production through aquaculture in underdeveloped areas. It is envisaged that more than 60,000 hectares of brackish water area could be additionally brought under aquaculture. Large tracts of paddy fields in Kerala which are kept idle for about eight months in a year could be utilised for scampi farming, according to MPEDA officials.

MPEDA, in its bid to improve the revenue from fisheries, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Innovation Norway, a Norwegian agency for promoting cage farming. Accordingly,

Norwegian agency will assist MPEDA to set up pilot projects in Kerala, Maharashtra and Andaman & Nicobar islands.

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