Fisheries board to set up black tiger shrimp centre

The Hyderabad-headquartered National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) is planning to establish a specific pathogen-free (SPF) shrimp seed (Penaeus monodon – black tiger prawn) multiplication centre at Mulapolam village in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh.

The board has acquired 100 acre of private land for the purpose, for which Hong Kong-based Moana Technologies will be the technical partner.

“Black tiger shrimp seed is usually collected from the wild, resulting in the outbreak of white spot viral diseases. Despite the precautionary measures in managing farms, the occurrence of white spot disease is difficult to combat due to the contaminated broodstock leading to reduced hectarage," P. Krishnaiah, chief executive of NFDB, told Business Standard. Black tiger shrimp cultivation declined from 120,000 hectare earlier to 90,000 hectare last year.

In response to the expression of interest called for setting up the centre, three companies have applied and the tendering process will be initiated shortly, Krishnaiah said, adding, “The multiplication centre will have a production capacity of three billion post larvae (seed) a year to serve about 150,000 shrimp farmers across the country.”

In order to create awareness among the shrimp farmers about SPF-seed produced by Moana, a jump-start programme has been initiated with the approval of the central government. Moana has so far supplied 1.65 million broodstock to 13 farms in the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh. The performance of the SPF-seed in the farmers' ponds is being evaluated by NFDB.

Krishnaiah said the board, in association with the Coastal Aquaculture Authority, Marine Products Export Development Authority (Empeda) and the Central Institute of Brackish Water Aquaculture (Ciba), was establishing an aquatic animal quarantine facility at Chennai for regulated import of SPF vannamei (white shrimp) broodstock, which will yield 10 tonne per hectare through intensive farming.

“The establishment and operation of the project will be fully funded by NFDB from its allocated Rs 1,500 crore budget earmarked for the next four years. Production at the facility is expected to commence from May 2009.

The board will initially supply the vannamei broodstock to 1,000 hectare across the country,” he said, adding a subsidy of 20 per cent will be extended for modifying farms to suit cultivation of vannamei.