(Common
Names - Pacific White shrimp, Chinese White
shrimp)
The scientific
name of White Shrimp is the Penaeus Setiferus,
and they are also known as the green tails.
They are a minor species. In nature, White Shrimp
are spawned in the ocean from March to November
and are carried by tides and wind driven currents
into the estuaries. White shrimp are harvested
primarily in the fall. These white shrimp have a maximum
life span of 24 months and they can grow as
large as eight inches. White shrimp is a good
candidate for aqua-culture because of its fast
growth, adaptability to diverse salinities,
and its large size. Although this is more costly to
develop than some other farms, even small-scale
shrimp aquaculture, can be profitable.
White Shrimp
are crustaceans. White shrimp have ten legs like crabs
and lobsters, and a shell covering the head
and body. White Shrimp usually live on muddy
or sandy bottoms of seas or ponds. Generally a
white shrimp spends its larval stages in coastal estuaries,
lagoons or mangrove areas and spend much of
their adult life in the sea. Geographically,
White Shrimp are distributed throughout the
coastal areas of the world, especially in South-East
Asia.
White Shrimp
are available throughout the year but the peak
months for the fisheries are November to January.
White Shrimp are sold
by size or count, based on thenumber of headless
shrimp per pound.White Shrimp are commercially
harvested in specially prepared ponds.
White Shrimp
are cultured in tanks or ponds of different
sizes and at very different stocking densities,
depending on the needs and resourcesof each
farmer. Intensive commercial operations can
stock up to 150 individual White Shrimp per
square yard while extensive ponds are some times
stocked with only 1 to 10 individuals per square
yard. In general, the salinity of the water
used to culture White Shrimp has been between
15-30 ppt, although the possibility of culturing
some species of marine shrimp in hard freshwater
(0-1ppt) is currently being explored.
Ideal water quality
is 80-86ºF that is pollution free. White Shrimp
are initially stocked in post-larval or early
juvenile stages and are fed prepared diets daily
until they are harvested. Feeding levels are
adjusted according to the biomass or density
of white shrimp in the system, and according to the
size of a particular species being cultured.
.
Dissolved oxygen
and other water quality parameters are measured
to ensure a healthy environment for the white
shrimp. Pond maintenance and cleaning is done
after harvesting and re-stocking is done as soon
as possible to maximize production of Vannamei
White Shrimp and White Shrimp.
Local and international
White Shrimp / Vannamei White Shrimp consumption looks set to increase
in the coming years, and this will cause the
market to expand continually. Advanced technologies
such as intensive closed system raceways or
utilization of inexpensive inland farms will
enable greater produce of farm raised White
Shrimp.
However, right
now there is a greater need for the use of viable
culture operations using closed systems or inland
ponds. The availability of SPF larvae looks
set to develop as the industry develops. The
technology for the culture of White Shrimp is
one of the most advanced in the aquaculture
industry, nevertheless the use of intensive
and semi-intensive cultures are still rather
new.
The market potential
of White Shrimp is quite large. A white shrimp is currently
sold in a variety of fresh or frozen product
forms, including whole and tails (or headless),
shell-on and peeled, round or split, and de-veined.
Next to canned tuna fish, Vannamei White
Shrimp is the leading
seafood consumed by the American public.
Siam
Canadian Foods Co., Ltd.
9th Floor, Suite 283/44, Home Place Office Building.
283 Thonglor 13, Sukhumvit 55
Kongton Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110,
THAILAND
Call us at +66-2-185-3311
Fax: +66-2-185-3317
Email us at info@siamcanadian.com
