Deadly virus threatens Zamboanga shrimp industry

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Operators of fishponds and shrimp and prawn farmers have been alerted against a deadly virus affecting the farming industry in Zamboanga City, an agriculture officer said.

Rico Tabal, field agriculture officer based in Vitali, east coast district of Zamboanga City, said reports from the fishpond operators indicated possible infestation on prawns by white spots syndrome virus (WSSV), a deadly virus that threatened to wipe out the industry last year. 

He said that they were aware of the infestation with the onset of the weather condition similar in 2013.

The agriculture officer said they were already alarmed of the emergence of the WSSV in the eastern coast of Zamboanga City, which is the fishpond hub of the business capital in the region. 

Tabal said the main manifestation or indication that the fishpond is infected with the WSSV is the presence of white spots in the head and tails of the shrimps or prawns.

Tabal said WSSV is deadly to the shrimp industry, and that the presence of the virus could wipe the shrimp population in a pond within short span of time.

The agriculture officer is set to have dialogue this week with the pond operators to determine the supply of their juvenile shrimps and discuss the need to prevent the possible spread of the WSSV to protect the Zamboanga City market and other areas the city is supplying. 

As this developed, the Atro Mining-Vitali Inc. (AMVI) management vehemently denied allegations linking the mining exploration activities in the infestation of the virus pond operations in Vitali.

Antonio Manaytay, chief communication officer of AMVI, said the company is still on the exploration stage since they have not been granted yet with a mineral production sharing agreement. 

The local council recently approved a team to conduct site inspection to determine the source of the reported infestation. 

Manaytay said the company is open and will aid the team to conduct fact finding mission to determine the cause of the presence of the deadly shrimp virus.