Mixed shrimp farming is offering good yields and helping to minimise pollution

Mixed shrimp farming is offering good yields and helping to minimise pollution

Central coastal province of Phu Yen has implemented a combined shrimp breeding model, which is offering good yields and helping to minimise pollution.
Update: (6/23/2017)

The model consists of growing shrimp together with other aquatic species, which prevents disease without using chemicals and providing sustainable results for farmers in the province, VNS reported.

The decision was taken to avoid using chemicals to treat polluted water, which was necessary in the past when breeding black-tiger shrimp and white shrimp at high density.

According to tests conducted by the Dong Hoa District’s veterinary laboratory, shrimp bred there were mainly infected with acute liver-and-marrow necrosis, and white-spot and red-body disease.

To limit the epidemic and environmental pollution, shrimp breeders have been breeding shrimp with other aquatic products, such as blue crab, tilapia.

Shrimp breeders comment that by farming tilapia and shrimp in a pond, they avoid polluting the environment with feed leftovers.

These farmers also pointed out that although the shrimp grow rapidly, the profit they obtained is lower than the model of only shrimp breeding.

Do Kim Dong, chief of Dong Hoa District’s agriculture department, said that in 2016, local authorities provided 600 kg of baby tilapias for shrimp farmers in four communes and towns to develop the combined model of shrimp breeding.

"Tilapias can consume feed leftovers, limiting water pollution," Dong said.

Meanwhile, in neighbouring district of Tuy An, shrimp farmers are breeding shrimp together with oysters, blue crabs, seaweed and fish.

Tran Sau, head of Tuy An District’s agriculture department said: "The combined shrimp raising model is bringing profit to breeders. The model is suitable for environmental condition of O Loan Lagoon.”

Over the past few years, Phu Yen Province’s Agricultural Promotion Centre has built up several aquatic-product breeding models that utilises new and advanced technology.

Nguyen Khac Tan, the centre’s deputy director, said from 2010 to 2012, farmers in two communes Xuan Loc and Ha Xuan Dong were the first in the province to breed shrimp together with tilapias and seaweed. The combination created clean water and limited the penetration and development of disease bacteria.

The centre has also developed combination models of black-tiger shrimp and blue crabs in Song Cau Town, and black-tiger shrimp with sea cucumber in Xuan Hai Commune.

Phu Yen Province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development director Nguyen Trong Tung says the province’s overall goal is to develop its shrimp breeding industry into a large-scale model, adaptable to climate change and ecologically friendly.

The department also requested local agricultural departments to complete detailed planning for shrimp breeding and infrastructure investment soon in order to bring into full play the potential for sustainable shrimp farming.

By www.fis.com