Welcome   Sponsored By
Subscribe | Register | Advertise | Newsletter | About us | Contact us
   


Port Dickson in Malaysia

Employing biotechnological approach to boost giant prawn production

Click on the flag for more information about Malaysia MALAYSIA
Thursday, July 22, 2021, 07:00 (GMT + 9)

PORT DICKSON: The giant river prawn or its scientific name macrobrachium rosenbergii, is a species of the palaemonid freshwater prawn, which has high domestic and export potential.

Realising this, a giant prawn farm owner here, Giva Kuppusamy (pix) , 36, took the initiative to apply biotechnological technique for the production of monosex prawn populations, thus ensuring there is continuous supply of broodstock.

Photo: GK Aqua

“I used to work at a 100-acre giant prawn farm in Pahang in 2009 and I found that the main problem was maintaining the broodstock and that most projects require domestication of parent stocks and a lot of money was invested in research but there were no results.

"As such the giant prawn farming industry failed to develop, people were opening aquaculture ponds but they couldn’t get supply of shrimp seeds, so in 2016 together with five partners, I started GK Aqua to begin the technique of all-male monosex culture of giant prawns,"
he told Bernama news agency.

Giva, a University of Malaya biotechnology graduate said, the male giant prawn is ‘paired’ and bred using micro-surgical technique on the androgenic gland and this would transform the male into a fully-functioning neo-female.

According to Giva, the normal male prawns are injected with the enzyme ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi) to inhibit male development and transform them into neo-females which genetically are still males but are able to produce eggs.

Photo: Bernama

When matured, he said the neo-female prawn would be 'paired' with the normal male parent for the mating process and almost all the seeds produced from the neo-female are males.

He said through this prawn production technique, its capacity could be increased and it only requires four months for the prawns to be fully developed while the conventional method would usually take nine months.

"In this way too, farming operation costs can be reduced and the size of the prawn produced is three times the size of the ordinary giant prawn and based on clients’ records, through this technique, from 100,000 seeds they could get returns of around 1,200 to 1,500 tonnes of giant prawns,”
he said.

Giva who hails from Perak but has been living in Negeri Sembilan for a long time, said he has received approval for the monosex culture technique from the Biosafety Department and the Genetic Modification Advisory Committee.

Photo: GK Aqua

Elaborating, Giva said the project started in 2016 on a one- acre lease land in Lenggeng here, but it was moved to a farm in Bukit Pelanduk last year, after facing difficulties in obtaining nearby water source.

Giva said they were able to obtain over a million life seeds at the six-acre leased farm and earn a return of around RM100,000 a month, but following the Movement Control Order (MCO), the demand for the seeds had declined.

"At GK Aqua, the parent giant prawns are bred for 38 days before they are sold to customers who are usually fish pond business operators, so when the MCO was enforced and people are not allowed to go fishing, we were also affected,” said Giva who also has a master's degree in ecocultural sustainability from Scotland.

He said the Negeri Sembilan Fisheries Department (JPNS) often visits the farm to monitor the situation and get their supply of adult prawn broodstock.

Giva said that great care is needed in giant prawn farming as they must be monitored every hour, especially the water temperature and mineral content in the pond, adding that the water must be replaced every 15 days.

In addition, Giva said he was also planning to bring giant prawn farming or ugady to padi fields in the state, as an effort towards chemical-free crop production and help farmers to increase their income.

Meanwhile, JPNS director Halimi Abu Hanip said the effort by GK Aqua in monosex culture is seen as an industry 4.0 game changer which could help Negeri Sembilan in its aspiration to be the nation’s freshwater prawn farming valley.

He said the giant prawn species can be sold at over RM70 per kilogramme and they are popular for recreational or sport fishing purposes, especially for fishing ponds.

On challenges faced by the livestock industry, he said most prawn breeders depend on wild adult prawns and the seed survival rate is also relatively low.

In addition he said, the Covid-19 pandemic which had forced fishing ponds to close had also left the prawns unsold.

On JPNS’ efforts to ensure the prawn species will continue to be maintained, Halimi said the department is actively releasing the giant prawn seeds into rivers for the purpose of conserving its population in their natural habitat, including in Sungai Rembau-Linggi and Sungai Muar in Gemas.

"In terms of aquaculture, the department provides support, technical advisory services and input to assist farmers so that giant prawn farming can be expanded in Negeri Sembilan,"
he said.

Source: Bernama

[email protected]
www.seafood.media


 Print


Click to know how to advertise in FIS
MORE NEWS
China
Apr 19, 07:40 (GMT + 9):
Indian Ocean squid price index: Flying squid (Ommastrephes bartramii)
Netherlands
Apr 19, 07:10 (GMT + 9):
MSC certification of Dutch trawl fleet partly suspended
United States
Apr 19, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
Uncrewed Vehicles Hold Promise for Ocean Data Collection in Difficult-to-Reach Areas
United Kingdom
Apr 19, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
Ace Aquatec leads new partnership to improve salmon farming circular economy
United States
Apr 19, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
Red Lobster mulls bankruptcy
Russian Federation
Apr 19, 06:40 (GMT + 9):
Russia and Mauritania intend to develop cooperation in the field of fisheries
United States
Apr 19, 05:50 (GMT + 9):
American Seafoods, Preeminent Fishing Leader in Sustainable Proteins, Releases Annual Sustainability Report
Argentina
Apr 19, 02:00 (GMT + 9):
They Claim Argentine Aquaculture Will Set Record in Job Creation and Foreign Currency in 2024
Spain
Apr 19, 01:00 (GMT + 9):
AGARBA, the first Spanish fishery to achieve MSC recertification for the second time
Peru
Apr 19, 01:00 (GMT + 9):
Over 280 Inspectors to Monitor Performance of First Anchovy Fishing Season in North-Central Zone
Maldives
Apr 18, 18:00 (GMT + 9):
IN BRIEF - Court Orders Confiscation of Sri Lankan Fishing Boat for Illegal Fishing
Spain
Apr 18, 07:40 (GMT + 9):
Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global celebrates its 30th edition with top experts
United Kingdom
Apr 18, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
Australia joins with UK to deliver large-scale water quality monitoring from space
Canada
Apr 18, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
Market Potential for Tuna
South Korea
Apr 18, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
In the first quarter of 2024, fishery products imported from Russia fell by 26%



Lenguaje
FEATURED EVENTS
  
TOP STORIES
Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global celebrates its 30th edition with top experts
Spain The Expo will bring together more than 90 leading international seafood industry experts in its conference program, including keynote speaker Mark Blyth, The William R. Rhodes ’57 Professor of I...
The top 5 trends shaping the salmon processing industry
Worldwide How processors are embracing innovation to succeed in an evolving market As the salmon processing industry continues to evolve, staying informed about the latest trends and changes is crucial for com...
New cod packaging with reduced climate footprint
Norway When the cod is packaged in Vesterålen in new packaging, it saves the climate. New products reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent. They cut transport and pack the fish in packaging tha...
Mericq and Maison Blanc Announce Partnership
France By joining forces, Mericq y Maison Blanc demonstrate their ambition to offer a unique offering dedicated exclusively to premium seafood products, on the Parisian and international markets. The two fa...
 

Maruha Nichiro Corporation
Nichirei Corporation - Headquarters
Pesquera El Golfo S.A.
Ventisqueros - Productos del Mar Ventisqueros S.A
Wärtsilä Corporation - Wartsila Group Headquarters
ITOCHU Corporation - Headquarters
BAADER - Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud. Baader GmbH+Co.KG (Head Office)
Inmarsat plc - Global Headquarters
Marks & Spencer
Tesco PLC (Supermarket) - Headquarters
Sea Harvest Corporation (PTY) Ltd. - Group Headquarters
I&J - Irvin & Johnson Holding Company (Pty) Ltd.
AquaChile S.A. - Group Headquarters
Pesquera San Jose S.A.
Nutreco N.V. - Head Office
CNFC China National Fisheries Corporation - Group Headquarters
W. van der Zwan & Zn. B.V.
SMMI - Sunderland Marine Mutual Insurance Co., Ltd. - Headquarters
Icicle Seafoods, Inc
Starkist Seafood Co. - Headquearters
Trident Seafoods Corp.
American Seafoods Group LLC - Head Office
Marel - Group Headquarters
SalMar ASA - Group Headquarters
Sajo Industries Co., Ltd
Hansung Enterprise Co.,Ltd.
BIM - Irish Sea Fisheries Board (An Bord Iascaigh Mhara)
CEFAS - Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science
COPEINCA ASA - Corporacion Pesquera Inca S.A.C.
Chun Cheng Fishery Enterprise Pte Ltd.
VASEP - Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters & Producers
Gomes da Costa
Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. (Headquarters)
NISSUI - Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd. - Group Headquarters
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization - Fisheries and Aquaculture Department (Headquarter)
Hagoromo Foods Co., Ltd.
Koden Electronics Co., Ltd. (Headquarters)
A.P. Møller - Maersk A/S - Headquarters
BVQI - Bureau Veritas Quality International (Head Office)
UPS - United Parcel Service, Inc. - Headquarters
Brim ehf (formerly HB Grandi Ltd) - Headquarters
Hamburg Süd Group - (Headquearters)
Armadora Pereira S.A. - Grupo Pereira Headquarters
Costa Meeresspezialitäten GmbH & Co. KG
NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Headquarters)
Mowi ASA (formerly Marine Harvest ASA) - Headquarters
Marubeni Europe Plc -UK-
Findus Ltd
Icom Inc. (Headquarter)
WWF Centroamerica
Oceana Group Limited
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Ajinomoto Co., Inc. - Headquarters
Friosur S.A. - Headquarters
Cargill, Incorporated - Global Headquarters
Benihana Inc.
Leardini Pescados Ltda
CJ Corporation  - Group Headquarters
Greenpeace International - The Netherlands | Headquarters
David Suzuki Foundation
Fisheries and Oceans Canada -Communications Branch-
Mitsui & Co.,Ltd - Headquarters
NOREBO Group (former Ocean Trawlers Group)
Natori Co., Ltd.
Carrefour Supermarket - Headquarters
FedEx Corporation - Headquarters
Cooke Inc. - Group Headquarters
AKBM - Aker BioMarine ASA
Seafood Choices Alliance -Headquarter-
Austevoll Seafood ASA
Walmart | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Supermarket) - Headquarters
New Japan Radio Co.Ltd (JRC) -Head Office-
Gulfstream JSC
Marine Stewardship Council - MSC Worldwide Headquarters
Royal Dutch Shell plc (Headquarter)
Genki Sushi Co.,Ltd -Headquarter-
Iceland Pelagic ehf
AXA Assistance Argentina S.A.
Caterpillar Inc. - Headquarters
Tiger Brands Limited
SeaChoice
National Geographic Society
AmazonFresh, LLC - AmazonFresh

Copyright 1995 - 2024 Seafood Media Group Ltd.| All Rights Reserved.   DISCLAIMER