Phl resumes export of vannamei shrimp

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines has resumed the exportation of vannamei (white shimp) after diseases that plagued the industry more than 15 years ago closed opportunities to growers.

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) director Asis Perez said shrimp growers have begun to export vannamei to US and China two months ago amid strong demand.

Growers in General Santos, Negros, Cebu, Batangas and other provinces are now shipping on a monthly basis 50 40-foot containers with 26 metric tons (MT) of shrimp each. Vannamei fetches a price of P250 per kilogram.

“This volume is expected to be sustained. For this month, exportation is expected to reach 60 containers,” said Perez. “For now, we are focusing on vannamei.”

Perez said local supply remains stable.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is helping the local shrimp industry revive the export business amid strong global demand.

The local shrimp industry now enjoys a disease-free status and has plenty of rootstock for breeding, placing it in a strategic position.

In April, the BFAR suspended the importation of live shrimp species to protect the local shrimp industry from Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS), a disease prevalent in neighboring countries Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, China, and Indonesia.

EMS, is characterized by death during the first 30 days of shrimp lifespan. Infected samples show slow growth, corkscrew swimming and pale coloration.

“We are now reaping the benefits (of the imposition of the ban),” said Perez.

From 1996 onwards, overcrowding of tiger shrimp hatcheries in the Philippines resulted to the prevalence of diseases that led to the closure of farms.

The government has since then attempted to revive the local shrimp industry with the introduction of white shrimp and adoption of stricter sanitary requirements in hatcheries.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said vannamei growers were advised to maintain the current growing practices to prevent a recurrence of the infestation.

“We appealed to vannamei growers not to abuse this so the infestation will not happen again,” he said.

He said the production of monodon (tiger prawn) is also being strengthened.

“We are concentrating on the vannamei because tiger prawn takes longer to grow, about six to eight months,” he said.