Enhancing Shrimp Aquaculture
BERAKAS, 13 August 2007,
Monday - "Shrimp aquaculture is our target area," Dato Paduka Hj
Hamdillah bin Hj Abd Wahab, Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Industry
and Primary Resources, said at the opening ceremony of the International
Shrimp Health Workshop yesterday.
"This morning's workshop
represents a timely initiative to underpin the importance the ministry
attaches to the aquaculture business in driving Brunei's ambition to be
more self-sufficient domestically, to position itself in the niche
export market in the medium term, and to realise Brunei's position as
one of the centres of excellence in aquaculture technology and services.
"This will benefit not only
our domestic producers, but hopefully also shrimp farmers in
neighbouring countries.
"Brunei is now developing
an aquaculture park called Telisai Phase II where it is hoped some of
these new technologies will be implemented. The workshop participants
will be visiting this site today.
"The forecast currently is
that the fisheries potential of Brunei Darussalam is estimated to be
worth at least $200 million per year, whilst the country is still
importing about 50% of its fish requirements, which is linked to 45
kg/yr per person, i.e 16 million tonnes per year, one of the highest in
Asean. This is two times more than Fishery Gross output today.
"Given the size of our
territorial water, we feel that one of the more promising growth areas
for sustainable development is less in captured fishery (2005 = 88%
total Fishery, B$100million) and more in the aquaculture sector (2005 =
5% whilst Seafood processed = 7%) with a potential worth of B$71 million
per annum based on the existing available sites.
This is 14 times more than
current aquaculture businesses.
"Setting up a
state-of-the-art Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory is a priority.
"The Department of
Fisheries is enhancing regulatory oversight of the sector and
encouraging increasing participation of producers and their associations
in the decision-making and self-regulation process.
"These factors are all
contributing to improved productivity of the sector through
implementation of 'better site-management' practices
"To improve the
competitiveness of local shrimp farmers, the Department of Fisheries has
initiated a three-year renewable project with Integrated Aquaculture
International, a US-based aquaculture technology company.
"By reducing input costs,
improving production efficiency, and attracting premium markets, the
results are promising.
"The ministry is pleased
with the rapid progress that has been achieved thus far through
assistance from Integrated Aquaculture International and international
advisors such as Dr Donald Lightner and Dr Leigh Owens.
"The capability to conduct
real-time PCR and histopathology has helped us manage our existing
stocks of SPF blue shrimp and to develop new stocks of candidate SPF
black tiger shrimp.
"We realise that this is
just the beginning of a long journey that will include selective
breeding for improved performance, nutrition studies to refine feed
efficiency, and grow-out trials to improve pond design and management.
"Under the Department of
Fisheries, 12 private shrimp farms, two hatcheries, and three processing
plants have been established.
"In the late 1990s,
specific pathogen-free Pacific Shrimp, Penaeus Stylirostris were
introduced from the Americas to differentiate Brunei shrimp from others
in the region.
"Brunei farmers have been
impacted by such global challenges as viral disease outbreaks, declining
shrimp prices, rising costs of fish meal, and increasing consumer demand
that foods are produced in a wholesome responsible way.
"According to
various estimates, it has been indicated that the economic losses in the
aquaculture industry worldwide are in excess of US$9 billion per year,
which is roughly 15% of the value of world-farmed fish and shellfish
production," the minister said.
- Courtesy of
Borneo Bulletin -
