Environment-friendly schemes in intensive shrimp farming.

Abstract

International environmental pressure groups call for shrimp importing countries to impose a trade embargo against farmed shrimps produced in a manner considered deleterious to the environment. In fact, Europe had banned in 2000 the importation of shrimps from some Asian countries. The subject of such protest actions included: (1) discharge of substances potentially harmful to marine organisms (chemicals used during pond preparation and therapeutants used during culture period); (2) discharge of excessive organic load during regular water change and harvests; and (3) chemical residues in shrimps harvested and marketed.

In the Philippines, a mandate from the national government was given to SEAFDEC in 1996 to rehabilitate the shrimp industry, which almost reached the brink of virtual collapse due to diseases brought about by some environmentally destructive practices. Mangrove-friendly aquaculture or what is sometimes referred to as the environment-friendly aquaculture was launched by AQD as a five-year program starting in 1998. The focus was later changed to shrimp culture and made part of the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Fisheries Consultative Group (FCG) collaborative project with AQD as Lead Department for technology development and verification, and Thailand as Lead Country for promoting the technology within the Southeast Asian region.