To restore the shrimp industry’s status as one of the country’s top dollar earners, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) released an initial grant of P18.1 million for the program "Integrated and Sustainable Development Program for the Shrimp Industry".
The University of the Philippines Visayas, in collaboration with the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center–Aquaculture Department will implement the program.
As one of the priorities of DOST, the program aims to 1) develop a technology for sustainable production of good quality shrimp broodstock and lessen dependence on wild stock; 2) develop sustainable and environment-friendly technique for Penaeus monodon; 3) evaluate the efficacy of various commercially available probiotics in the control of diseases in shrimp hatchery; 4) evaluate the effects of biofloc technology to P. monodon culture; 5) develop handling protocols; and 5) study the value chain analysis for fresh/chilled frozen Penaeid shrimps.
The program consists of three projects, namely, 1) Development of techniques for sustainable production of good quality captive P. monodon broodstock and spawners; 2) Development of sustainable and environment-friendly production technique for P. monodon; and 3) Handling protocols and value chain analysis for fresh/chilled frozen Penaeid shrimps reared in commercial and organic culture.
The expected outputs of the program include development of scientifically based breeding program for P. monodon; development and evaluation of different culture techniques and aquaculture products to improve farm production efficiency in an environmentally sound approach; assessment of the current handling and transport practices for shrimp; and analysis of the competitiveness of the Philippine shrimp products.
Currently, researchers are selecting faster growing shrimp stocks and developing disease-resistant species for breeding; verifying commercially produced probiotics in the local market; formulating feeds with different commercially available immunostimulants at different levels of concentration; acclimating animals for feeding trials; and conducting shrimp farming trials with and without probiotics.
In addition, there are also studies on culture of postlarvae for stocking density trials; tests on chemical substances and other chemicals used during harvest to prevent the blackening in shrimp products; and practices on harvesting and handling of penaeids.