SOUVENIR - Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture

NAYlONAL SEaVINAR
ON
WWNSIBLE WSHERID
'I2 - 33 February, 2004
SOUVENIR
AQUACULTURE
Collcgc of Fisheries, OUXT,
Rangailunda, Berhnmpur-760 007, Orissa, India
Oriss:~ Fisheries College Aluri~rii .Association Rnng:lilunda (OFCAAR),
Ecrhampur-760 007, Orissa, India
Association ofAquacuiturists,
CIFA, Rhnab3nc.sw:1r-751 002, Oriss;~. India
Central Institute of Freshwater XquacuIture,
Kausal~aganga, t3iiub:lncswar-75I 002, Qrissa, India
Professional Fishcrics Graduates F'oI-u~I,
CIFE, Sc.\en Burng:llo\is, \'crsos;i, IiIun~b;li--$OO 061, India
College of Fisheries;
Qrissa UniversIQ of Agriculture and Technology
Rangailunda, Berhampur-760 007, Orissa, India

STATUS OF BR4CM4SWA1ATER AQUACULTLIRE
IN JI!DLA Ah3 ITS FLrTURE
&lathew Abraham and S. 31. Piliai
Cenfral Institlire of Brack~shvarerlquacuitl~re,
7.5, Santhorne High Road, R. A. Puram, Cilenmi- 600 0-78, Tamil Xadu, India
1. Introduction
One of the rapidly growing food prodxtion activities in the world is
aquaculture. The quality of food produced from naier-based production system is
important in planning the nutritional securiy of the people. The open seas and the
land locked aquatic systems were fished to meet these requirements. This process,
over a period of time, has resulted in depletion of the resources over its rejuvenation
capacity. To augment production from aquatic resources, aquaculture was followed.
Food production in the form of shrimps and fishes from the low lying, barren,
unproductive or marginally productive coastal sa!ine lands, swamps and other
brackishwater bodies is done through brackishwater!coastal aquacul:ure. Traditional
brackishwzter aquaculture systems like the bheries of West Bengal, gheries of
Orissa, pokkali fields of Kerala, khar lands of Karnataka and khazani fields of Goa
wherein shrimp filtration is followed is an age old practice. Modern brackishwater'
aquaculture is an offshoot of the traditional aquaculture and it is largely confined to
shrimp aquaculture.
India is the third largest fish producing nation with 2.5% share in world
seafood export. In shrimp aquaculture, India ranks 5'511 production. Farmed shrimp
contributes 60% by volume and 82% by value of teal shrimp exports.
2. Brackishwater Aquaculture-Resources and Potential
2.1 Coastal Resources
India has a long coastline of 8 118 km distributed in 9 coastal states and 4
Union Territories. The biodiversity of the coastal ecosystem of the country is rich
and varied and SLipporrs a wide spectrum of species of plants and animals. There are
about 3.9 million ha of estuaries and 3.5 million ha of brackish\t.ater areas available
in the country. It is estimated that about 1.2 million ha coastal area suitable for
development of brackishwater aquaculture is available. In addition to this, around 8.5
million ha salt affected areas are available in the countq. Out of this, about 2.6
million ha area which are unsuitable or marginally suitablc for agriculture can be
utilized for, brackish\vatcr aquaculture. The coatal mangrove areas is estimated
around 0.5 million ha.

2.2 Biological Resources
The biolo_cical potential is rich ivith a variety of cuiturable species: -, They
include: shrimps-Pc~ioeris 111o11odor1, Fcnncropc~7oc1~s indicus, F. ~lro.griicrsi-~, F.
pe~lcil/alus, Jlcloperlneits 1~io,7occros and !i-L Fr111cI7et:.ris; finfishes - Latcs calr;rrlkr,
Epi~~epJ~elz~s ~u~ll'jria, hh~g-i/ ccpl~nlus, Lira pu~~ia,
L. nlncrolepis, L. lade, Ci!trllos
chailos and E1rop111s SN~UIC~S~S and mud crabs - Scj,lla serrnta and S. ~rnqrrehiirica.
3. Current Status of Brackishwater Aquaculture
3.1 Area Dcvcloprncnt
Thc growth of brackish\va~er aquaculture is phenomenal. Out of 1.2 rniilion
ha potential area available for brackishwater farming, around 68,327 ha were under
culture during 1991-92, ivhich increased to 1,94,010 ha during 2001-02 inc!uding
about 30,000 ha under scampi production. During his period, @e total shrimp
production also increased substantially from 40,000 tonne in 1991-92 to 1.27.170
tonne in 2001-02 In a decade, this sector bvitnessed expansion in area of S4b and
increase of 424h ki in shrimp production (Table 1). Though there is rapid development
in shrimp farming in the country, only 16.3% of the total estimated potential ura has
been brought under. shrimp aquaculture. the production rate is 655 kg%3 I\-hich is
veo, low, compared to the 2000-3000 kgiha productions of Thailand and Tail\&
A critical analysis of the development of shrimp aquaculture enterprise in the
country since 1990-91 revealed that this sector is growing at an annual averas rate
of 116%. Shrimp farming developed at a faster pace during the pre-disease sc:nario
since 1990-91 till 1995-96 and the growth was 108% during this period. Follon.ing
the widespread outbreaks of white spot viral disease (WSSV) during 1994-96. the
rate of development declined sharply to 76% for the period 1996-99. In fact. it \cars
primariIy due to the disease outbreaks and the writ petition against commercial
shrimp farming resulting in the .Apex coufl's judgment permitting only tradi~ional
and improved traditional s>.stems of shrimp farming within CRZ. Aquaczlrure
authority issued guidelines for the improvement of productior! and produciivi. from

h-se systems specihing various changes in the culture technology. Treatnent of
intake water in reservoir ponds has become a necessiry in areas where more shrimp
fa.ms are located in close prosimiy. Stocking densities have been reduced to 6
no.i'm2 within CRZ and 10 no./rn2 outside CRZ. Farmers have understood the
inportance of the quality of hatchery produced seed and are resorting to testing of
seed for viral pathogens before stocking in the ponds. Some enterprising fanners
hakt adapted minimal water exchange programme with trea~ed water to avoid the
entr) of pathogens through water or through carriers. Intensive feed management and
health management methods have been prescribed to avoid excess nutrient loading
an@ disease outbreak in the culture water. Wastewater treatment ponds have become
mandatory for larger farins. A production level of 1 to 1.5 tonneslidcrop is expected
from these systems of culture.
Though shrimp seed production technology has been commercialized since
earl! 1990s, the hatchery operators still depend on the wild spawners for the
praduction of nauplii. With most of the wild broodstock are infected with i+hite spot
virus, the induction of maturitj under captive conditions has encountered serious
setbacks. -&e present shrimp seed requirement is estimated to be around 12-15
billion post-larvae. which is largely met by the 237 hatcheries. By 2020, it is
expected that 3,00.000 ha will be brought under shrimp farming and then the annual
seed requirement will be around 30 billion post-lan,a$
Feed processing technology has also been developed indigenously and these
technologies are yet to be commercialized. The major problem faced by the
indigenous technology is the non-availability of quality ingredients. The locally
available fish meal is very often of inferior quali~ and the feed manufacturers are
importing this ingredient.
For white spot virus, CIBA has developed a simple and rapid DNA-based
diagnostic technique using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for the diagnosis of
nhite spot virus infection in P. monodon and P. indicus at a very early stage. The
molecuiar diagnosis of [his viral disease was standardized in these shrimps using the
395 base pair CIBA primer. The know-how has already been shared with the
indus:ry and a diagnostic kit has been commercialized which has reduced the cost of
seed resting considersbiy.
3.3 Thrust .4reas of Research
Shrimp farming which has developed by leaps and bounds needs organized
gro\\th for its sustainability and the folloiving issues require urgent research attention
fdr the regulated and continuous development of this sector.

3.4 Captive Broodstock Dc~~clopmcnt
Shrimp aquacuiturc is expanding at an average annual groi\th rate of 1 1676 in
the countr). and concurrent \vi~h the expansion, there is even an increasing demand of
quality shrimp seed. The esistin: 137 hatcheries are mainly dcpcndant on the sca for
the spa\i,ners and very ofien this is fclt as a limiting factor in rhe operation of
hatcheries. Further majority of the natural spawners are infected with diseases.
Studies conducted by ClBA have rc\'eaii.d that 30-70% of ihe wild broodstock of .
n~onodon from both the coasts are infected with WSSV. Funher it is estimated that
about 6100.000 shrimp broodstock will Ire required by 2020. Raising of disease free
shrimp broodstock in land-based s),stcms under captive bio-secure nlanagerncnt
conditions is the only alternative to ensure availability of disease free broodstock.
This vvill prevent vertical transmission of the disease through mother shrimps and
facilitate production of quality post-ianae free of pathogens.
CISA has already succeeded in raising disease free F2 generation of .if
japoriclts and raised P. monodon broodstock from post-larvae under con~rollcd
conditions. Further studies are urgently needed to develop specific patho~en free
broodstock.
3.5 Management of shrimp farm wastewater
Production of healthy shrimps is directly related to the hygiene of the
production unit. Soil and water qualit) of shrimp ponds determine to a great estent
the successful raising of shrimp crop. A majority of the social and environmental
issues and disease outbreaks are attributed to poor water quality management.
Sustainability of brackishwater aquaculture is dependant on solving the problem of
water use and wastewater disposal. Bioremediation measures ernplo),ing probiotic
and other biological products (agricultural by-produce) are to be standardized to treat
shrimp farm wastewater.
3.6 Disease Prevention and Control bleasures
There is an increasing trend among shrimp farmers to apply chemicals and
drugs into shrimp ponds without the basic knowledge on their usefulness. Since a
number of antibiotics were banned for use in aquaculture, there is an urgent need to
educate and create awareness among farmers about the futility of their use and the
harmful effects they may cause to the organisi~ls and the environment. In addition,
R&D efforts should be strengthened for surveillance, monitoring, prevention and
control of diseases. Research in areas like integrated nutrient supply, biofertilizers,
bioaugmentors, immunostimuiants and biopesticides should be given importznce.
3.7 Alternative Aquaculture
Brackishwater aquaculture that is currently practiced in the county is shrimp
farming that is largely centred around one species, P. monodon. In the light of WSSV

infection that is experienced as a perpetual problem, farmers are looking out for
of shrimps, fishes and crabs for culture. CIBA has already s~andardized
hatchcv secd production technology of seabass, ~aies calcarifcr and propagating its
cu/rurc in different ago-climatic regions of the countj. Limited success has already
J
been achieved in the seed producrion of mud crab, Scj.lla troiq~i~boica.
~:~ndardization of culture techniques for mullets. pearl spot, seabass and crabs are
urgcntljr needed.
3.8 Development of 'Eco-friendly' Fced
In view of the scarce aiailability of quality fish meal, studies on alternate
source for the shrimp feed are being caried out at CIBA. CIB.4 has
developed cost-effective feed for gro~+.-out culture of shrimps. Further, studies on
the deielopment of eco-friendl). feeds with reduced protein levels and high energy
content need to be developed with a view to reduce the nutrient loading due to feed
to protect the environment.
3.9 Environment Monitoring and Carrying CapaciQ Studies
Environment rnonitorin,o, carrying capacity of the source creek and the level
of operation of shrimp farms are to be studied in detail to understand the carqing
capacity level. Though effluent treatment has become mandatory in large farms:
small farmers do not have resources to develop bioponds in their farms. Ir, such
cases, where large numbers of small farmers are operating their shrimp farms. a cooperative
method of effluent treatment should be initiated by the Government
agencies to sustain the shrimp culture activities.

Tablc I. State-wise tletails of sllri~np farming irl1NDIA
Source: MPEDA A= Area under culture in ha P= Eslimated production in tonne Neg.= Negligible