Shrimp - A Fish Eater’s Preference

Thanks to modern shrimp farming, many people prefer eating shrimp or prawns. Bred in controlled condition, these decapod crustaceans meet quality standards. It is unlike other fish that exist in lakes, ponds, and the vast sea, where the environment is largely uncontrolled. There could be an accumulation of harmful substances in the fish. Shrimp can be cooked in a variety of dishes to suit the Indian palate. Shrimp and prawns come from the same family of decapods. Shrimp is mostly bred in saltwater and prawn in freshwater.

Breeding Ponds: 

Large-scale breeding of shrimp is carried out in shrimp farms or breeding ponds. There is considerable risk in this business, even though it looks quite simple. Some of the factors are:

● Maintaining water quality.

● Feed quality.

● Check on the healthiness of shrimp at regular intervals.

● Prevention of spread of disease.

● Control of population density.

Water Base limited, founded in 1987, is headed by Varun Thapar. The company is a pioneer in this field, with product quality meeting international standards.

Water and Feed Quality

The shrimp mostly spend their entire time on the bottom of the pond. The soil should be non-acidic. A high acid sulfate level makes it difficult to maintain the pH value of the water. The water conditions deteriorate due to uneaten food, excreta of the shrimp. These conditions lead to unhealthy shrimp quality. Checks at regular intervals by taking water samples, and analysis for levels of ammonia, dissolved oxygen, and odor is done. The water in the pond is then replaced if the parameters cross certain limits. The cost of the feed constitutes almost 70% of the cost of production.

Disease and Density

Shrimp are highly prone to disease. Care should be taken to prevent air-borne pathogens from reaching the ponds. There have been many instances of infection from neighboring ponds. A complete crop of shrimp in large areas had to be discarded, causing substantial financial losses. Generally, the yield is two crops a year.

Another important factor is the population density of shrimp. It is difficult to control water quality if the density is higher than normal. There are many instances where an entire shrimp crop had to be discarded due to this reason.   

Research and Development

This is an essential activity in shrimp aquaculture. It covers various areas like feed,  processing, etc. Methods of improvement of the quality of the shrimp stock and feed is a continuous process. There is a considerable demand for shrimp feed from Europe, Japan, and the U.S.A. Therefore, stringent quality standards have to be met.  Reputed companies like Waterbase Limited in India meet these standards.

Shrimp farming is done in various states in India that have a coastline.  Shrimp is low on calories and carbohydrates and high on nutrients. India has a long coast and considerable experience in breeding shrimp. With increasing demand, the future is bright in this area of business. 

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Created on Oct 14th 2021 04:43. Viewed 247 times.

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