As compared to
other South-East sian countries, shrimp culture
is a recent development in Burma . Shrimp production
in Burma has tremendous potential if modern
and cautious management techniques are applied.
The shrimp aquaculture
industry in Burma is already worth more than
US$ 15 million annually. Substantial growth
in this sector is forecast. Aquaculture is expected
to play a more important role in the production
of seafoods. Burma has considerable competitive
advantages in its long coast, relative lack
of pollution, wide range of species, absence
of serious disease and its ability to supply
off season supplies to South East Asia and Europe.
Burma presents
many attractive advantages for foreign investors,
including land availability and relatively low
labour cost. However, many problems remain unsolved:
scarcity of technical information, lack of trained
personnel, and the fact that much of the farming
has to be done at an extensive level.
New economic
regulators and reforms are underway; however,
that should boost individual and private initiatives.
Introduction of imported feeds and increased
activity by foreign investors are also stimulating
factors.
If Burma is to
increase its competitiveness in the world shrimp
market, it is also critical that the industry's
productivity per hectare be increased. To accomplish
this, investments in semi-intensive culturing
of shrimps must be encouraged.
No matter what
advancement Burma achieves in the production
of shrimp, they can be easily overshadowed by
international shrimp market prices. Producers
should therefore trim production costs and increase
efficiency in order to be at par with their
competitors in the world market.
Aquaculture played
a minor role in the Burma fisheries industry
till 1989. Only three thousand hectares of fishponds
were established at the time. However, due to
the encouragement and support by the Burma government,
the aquaculture industry has now expanded to
over ninety thousands acres of fishponds.
The Government
of Burma, has encouraged the expansion of aquaculture
through proper management so as not to cause
environmental degradation. Intensive breeding,
improper use of chemicals, destruction of mangroves
and other fish habitats, discharge of untreated
wastes etc. are considered grave offences, and
are dealt with accordingly.
Burma has a long
coastline of 2832 kilometres with a continental
shelf area 225000 square kilometres. The Exclusive
Economic Zone extends seawards to a distance
of 200 nautical miles from the baseline. The
fisheries resources maximum sustainable yields
(MSY) of Burma is estimated at 1.05 million
MT. Aquaculture development is still very limited
and there is substantial scope for expansion.
In 1996-97, over ninety thousand acres of ponds
produced eighty five thousand tons of freshwater
fish and prawn.
With the adoption
of the new market economic system, Burma has
opened its doors for foreign investment. Foreign
investors who invest and operate on equitable
principles would be given the right to enjoy
appropriate economic benefits, and to take their
legitimate assets back home if closing their
business. They would also be given proper guarantees
by the Government against nationalization of
their business while in operation.
To make legal
provisions for investment in Burma, the Government
has enacted the Foreign Investment Law on 30
November 1988. The state had promulgated four
relevant fisheries laws to manage the industry
and to protect the environment more efficiently
and effectively.
Export potential
of shrimp is rather limited due to lack of capital
market, insufficient onshore facilities such
as ice plants, cold storages, canning factories
and fish-meal plants. In order to increase shrimp
production and export, construction of cold
storage facilities, fish meal plants, canning
plants and also establishment of marine as well
as freshwater and shrimp hatcheries along the
entire coast has been included in the sectorial
development plans of Fisheries Department of
Burma.
Since Burma has
huge potential of assured prospects, great diversity
in aquatic resources, well defined discipline
and most of all a clean natural environment,
there will be no unpleasant consequences of
fishing and farming in fishery industry.
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THAILAND
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