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Did you know? How Indian shrimp plays an important role in global fishing and farming!
Indian shrimp (Fennepenaeus indicus), formerly known as Penaeus indicus, is one of the world's major commercial shrimp species. From East and Southeast Africa through India, Malaysia and Indonesia to the South China Sea and Northern Australia, Indian shrimp covers a wide range of tropical waters. Adult Indian prawns are about 22 centimeters long and can dive to the seabed as deep as 90 meters. Their early stages of development are mostly carried out in the sea. Then the young shrimps will move to shallow water areas such as estuaries, and then return to the sea after they grow up.
Around the world, mainly in countries such as China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand, shrimp has become an indispensable part of human diet.
Indian shrimp accounts for 2.4% of fish production and 1.2% of farmed shrimp in fishing and farming respectively. This kind of shrimp is now mainly farmed in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Iran and India. Saudi Arabia produced nearly 11,300 tons in 2005, followed by Vietnam with approximately 10,000 tons. It is worth noting that India's shrimp production was as high as 5,200 tons in 2000, but dropped to 1,100 tons in 2005, with many farmers choosing to switch to other shrimp varieties.
Ecology and life cycle
Indian shrimp is a marine decapod, and its young live in estuaries. It prefers to live in a mud or sandy bottom environment at a depth of 2 to 90 meters, and its life cycle is usually 18 months. After hatching, the swimming larvae pass through several stages: larvae, mud shrimps and metalarvae, and finally resemble adult shrimps. They then go to the estuary to feed and grow up. When they reach 110 to 120 mm, they return to the sea and are caught in fisheries. .
The total shrimp production in the world is about 6 million tons, of which about 3.4 million tons come from fishing and 2.4 million tons come from farming.
Challenges of fishing and farming
In 2010, Greenpeace added Indian shrimp to its Seafood Red List. Although the shrimp itself is not threatened, by-catch during fishing is very serious, and many threatened species, such as sea turtles, are also affected.
In terms of farming, the production cycle of Indian shrimp includes the entire process from nursery to individual growth to market size. Seeds can be sourced from wild catches or grown through nurseries. In traditional rice farming, when the tide comes in, the young shrimps will enter the fields with them. Among the introduced shrimp species, the proportion of Indian shrimp is about 36%–43%. With the rise of nursery centers, reliance on wild seedlings has gradually decreased, in part because overfishing has reduced wild seedlings.
Farming technology
Farming technology can be divided into extensive, semi-intensive and intensive types.
Extensive
This traditional farming method relies on tidal water entering rice fields or breeding ponds. This system is often found in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and other places. Generally, the growth cycle of a single crop is about 150 to 180 days, and the output can reach 400 to 1,200 kilograms per hectare. In the culture in this area, Indian shrimp accounts for 36% to 43% of the total.
Semi-intensive
This is a relatively new farming model with small ponds and a relatively high degree of control. The storage density can reach PL/m2 20–25, and regular artificial feed is provided.
Intensive
Intensive farming is a highly mechanized system that relies very little on natural food and can typically achieve yields of up to 10,000 to 20,000 kilograms per hectare.
Market value and future challenges
The production cost of shrimp in India is affected by many factors, including farming type and output. The market price of one kilogram of adult shrimp is about US$4 to US$5, which is relatively low compared to other shrimp species. However, the breeding and cultivation of this kind of shrimp are relatively simple, which gives it a certain advantage in price.
In addition to changes in market demand, the Indian shrimp farming industry is becoming increasingly competitive in the global market. This not only poses challenges to the ecosystem that is left to foreign markets, but also prompts local farmers to seek more value-added opportunities.
Do you think India’s shrimp farming industry can continue to thrive while protecting the ecological environment?
