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Shrimp Culture
How Vietnam is moving towards responsible and sustainable shrimp production Steps include the introduction of a locally developed disease free vannamei broodstock, ecofriendly farming of the black tiger shrimp, real time water quality monitoring, functional feeds against diseases and more sustainable farming models By Van Tan
Along with its fast growth, attention is on the sustainability of Vietnam's shrimp farming industry.
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midst the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, industry players want to showcase Vietnam as a leader in sustainable shrimp production. The latest industry developments were exhibited at the Vietshrimp International Fair, the largest shrimp show in Vietnam, held in Can Tho City, in the Mekong Delta, on April 14-16. The exhibition attracted 200 exhibitors and more than 10,000 visitors, compared to 150 exhibitors and 8,000 visitors in 2018. Evident at Vietshrimp was an eagerness of the industry to move forward and meet global demands for a responsible and sustainable shrimp aquaculture sector in Vietnam. At the trade show, some exhibitors displayed modern technologies in shrimp farming – from digitalisation, nutrition to post larvae production. There were three conferences focused on the theme of "sustainable destination" that discussed solutions to improve the sustainability of shrimp farming. Tran Đinh Luan, Director General at the Directorate of Fisheries, said that shrimp farming methods should go hand-in-hand with protecting the environment and providing product traceability. Along with the fast-paced growth of the industry, comes problems of untreated waste discharged into the environment. Non-compliance with regulations is a major concern. "Drugs and chemicals of unknown origin have major consequences for the environment. For the long-term development of the industry, these issues should be addressed and be well-managed," said Luan.
More eco-friendly farms
There is a view that earthen shrimp ponds are no longer suitable because of poor bottom soil as well as polluted environmental conditions. Meanwhile, the super intensive model requires high investments, which are not financially July/August 2021 AQUA Culture Asia Pacific
Le Dang Quang, General Director of Minh Phu Group said that he is promoting the rice-shrimp co-farming model. He believes this model is environmentally friendly and economically stable for all stakeholders.
viable for small-scale farmers. According to Le Dang Quang, General Director of Minh Phu Group, switching to black tiger shrimp farming and rice-shrimp farming models are both environmentally friendly and economically beneficial for all types of investors. The model Quang mentioned is farming with a sparse density of 10-12 post larvae (PL)/m2 to suit the carrying capacity of the environment. The model will be implemented in the form of one shrimp crop and two rotational rice crops to create a carbon balance and make sure the land is not over-exploited. The products of this model are organic black tiger shrimp and rice; there are no chemicals nor antibiotics involved in the entire production cycle. “This model produces an average yield of about 380500kg of shrimp/ha,” said Quang. Minh Phu is developing both extensive (eco-friendly) models to produce organic shrimp and intensive models to produce regular shrimp. “This recirculating organic green smart shrimp value chain and carbon balance will be developed simultaneously with intensive models to ensure that the volume of shrimp supply remains high." Currently, Minh Phu has established a network of shrimp producers and suppliers across the Mekong Delta with a variety of shrimp farming models. The company has built 100,000ha of intensive farms, 25,000ha of organic shrimp farms in mangrove areas and more than 10,000ha of riceshrimp farms. Quang stressed that Vietnam needs to continue domesticating the black tiger shrimp to create broodstock with good disease resistance and adaptable for farming in the natural conditions in the Mekong Delta. In addition, he also wished to develop a strong linkage between input suppliers, shrimp farmers and processors to form a sustainable model for the benefit of all.
