Photo credit: Camilo Cristian Suarez Barazeta (Colombia)
Review: Camilo Cristian Suarez Barazeta and Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the website)
The inserted shrimp farm shows a shrimp farm in Punta Canoa Cartagena, Colombia.
Colombian shrimp production from aquaculture has witnessed significant fluctuations due to the high losses caused by the Taura Syndrome; according to FAO statistics, shrimp production in Colombia amounted 19,500 tons in 2011. While shrimp exports represent less than 1% of the total value of exports, they represent almost 50% of the value of exports created by the entire fish and fishery sector.
Almost all Colombian shrimp farms use 100% locally produced post larvae (PL) of the whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei compared to 1997 whereas only about 25% were produced locally.
Shrimp farms usually stock 12-day-old PL at a stocking density of about 20 PL/ m². Farms are capable to produce up to 2.6 to 2.8 production cycles per year; however, some farms are voluntarily reducing the number of crops to two crops per year. This leaves ponds to dry for several months, instead of producing in bad environmental conditions.
As shown in the inserted picture, emergency aeration may be practiced in shrimp ponds whereas paddle-wheel aerators are commonly in use.
