The Importance of Low-Cost Live Feed Culture Technology to the Marine Shrimp Industry during COVID-19

The importance of live feed as a beginning diet in marine shrimp (Penaeus sp.) is largely dependent on careful management during the early stages of larval growth. The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on Malaysian aquaculture, which is critical for seafood supply and security. Cladocerans are an alternative live feed species that outperform Artemia nauplii in terms of nutritional value, economic value, availability, and reproduction rate. In terms of supplying live feed for commercial aquaculture, cladoceran culture and cultivation can therefore be an economically viable, sustainable, and desirable live feed species. The purpose of this study is to collect information on low-cost live feed for marine shrimp used in aquaculture and how COVID-19 affects the sector. Thus, a survey was conducted at a private hatchery and farm in Pekan and Badong, Pahang, Malaysia to investigate the importance of low-cost live feed culture technology to the marine shrimp industry during COVID-19. A total of 20 respondents took part in the survey. During the COVID-19 period in Malaysia, data were gathered using a questionnaire that was planned to be completed via an online form from August 2020 through December 2020. The software utilised was a Google application (Google Form). The data gathered revealed the importance of utilising live feed for maintaining shrimp larvae production in the sector. The current data are critical for developing policy actions to support seafood industries affected by the pandemic at both the national and international levels. Copyright©2023 by authors, all rights reserved.

Shocks and the determinants of resilience: Fish and shrimp value chains in Bangladesh after Covid-19

There is little systematic evidence on the resilience of South Asian agri-food value chains since the onset of Covid-19. Using two rounds of surveys of 1751 fish and shrimp value chain actors in Bangladesh, this paper undertakes two sets of tasks: (a) analyzes business continuity (closures and resumptions) and its implications for household food security, and (b) adapts a ten-item measure of subjective resilience and examines its predictors: diversity, scope, scale, vertical integration, and cluster effects. Results show that recent closures are linked to Covid-19, suggesting that firms were only able to sustain operations for a period of 8–9 months before folding due to cumulative stresses;and that the degree of resilience varies significantly across value chains and the segments within them. Interestingly, contrary to established stylized facts, clusters appear to be negatively correlated with resilience, indicating that cooperation among value chain actors within a cluster breaks down under large-scale covariate shocks. The implications of these and other key findings are discussed. © 2023 Agricultural & Applied Economics Association.

Impacts of COVID-19 on small-scale freshwater carp and coastal brackish water shrimp farming in India

The present study was simultaneously conducted in two distantly located areas to assess the impacts of COVID-19 on farming processes, instantaneous financial impacts and mitigation strategies adopted by the farmers in the small scale freshwater carp farming and coastal brackish water shrimp farming sectors in India. Primary data were collected through interview of the farmers with the help of pre-tested structured interview schedules. Though the initial impact in both the sectors were substantial, freshwater carp farmers mitigated the crises comparatively well because of wider option in alternative livelihood, low cost locally available inputs, mobilization of local market, direct door to door vending of live fish and mobilization of women work force from the family in the farming sector. Untapped resource in the form of women's' participation in the freshwater farming practices was noteworthy during the pandemic period which increased polynomially (y = - 1.0714x2 + 7.5286x -2.2;R2 = 0.9648). As the shrimp farming sector was dependent upon external markets and burdened with high cost inputs primarily supplied by the input dealers on credit basis, the sector has to bear the burden most. Garret's Rank analysis revealed that integration with other production sectors ranked first as mitigation perception to the freshwater carp farmers, whereas, to the coastal shrimp farmers, the highest rank was with the perception that everything will be normalized within 2- 3 months naturally. Garret's Rank analysis also revealed that in both the sectors, the farmers most important need was credit from the Govt. source in mitigating COVID-19 like crisis in future. © D. Hait.

Regional impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on aquaculture and small-scale fisheries: Insights and recovery strategies in India

Fisheries and aquaculture have emerged as a promising food production sector at the global level as well as regional levels. Fish and fish products are produced in one region and then are traded across various parts of the world. The whole sector is dependent on chains of workers engaged at landing centres, breeding units, processing units, and the trade and export chains. When the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown hit the country, it affected the whole sector and caused a huge decline in the production and trade of fishing products. This article aims to have a glimpse into the aquaculture sector and evaluate the impact of the pandemic on this sector in India. This valuable information can be of great importance to government and aquatic food suppliers so that they can evolve their strategies to withstand ongoing and future pandemics. It also helps them in framing regional and sectorial adjustments to transform investment plans, match market demands, improve monitoring strategies and get prepared for future needs. © 2023

Effect of E-beam irradiation on the qualitative attributes of shrimp (Penaeus vannamei)

As a non-thermal food processing technology, Electron beam (E-beam) irradiation has been used to enhance microbial safety by deactivating unwanted spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms in food industry. This study evaluated the effects of E-beam irradiation at doses killing SARS-COV-2 on qualities and sensory attributes. The results showed that irradiation caused little effect on the proximate composition, amino acid content, texture, and sensory attributes (P > 0.05). However, E-beam increased TBARS (Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) and lowered vitamin E content in dose-dependently. Irradiation up to 10 kGy significantly decreased unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) content and inhibited the increase in TVB-N (The total volatile basic nitrogen) while reducing cohesiveness and chewiness (P < 0.05). E-beam irradiation with 7–10 kGy caused greater ΔE values (ΔE > 5) via the significant increase of b*, accompanied by big visual difference in shrimp (P < 0.05). A dose of 4 kGy E-beam irradiation was recommended without altering its physicochemical properties and sensory attributes. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd

Assessing the economic effects of the covid-19 pandemic on Swedish shrimp fishers.

This paper explores the effect of the perceived risk of the Swedish people of Covid-19 on daily auctioned shrimp prices from the start of the pandemic to the end of the year 2021. This topic is of interest to see whether the government intervention in the shrimp market to aid fishers with possible losses was justified. The Swedish shrimp fishery was for a long time managed by Regulated Open Access, but in January 1, 2017, it was transformed to a Strong User Rights Fishery by the introduction of Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs). We use empirical data from the period from 2018 to 2021. We find that auction prices were negatively affected by covid-19 cases by SEK 19.83/kg (-9.37%), and that fishers have suffered a loss of SEK 21.5 million.

Supply Chain Vulnerability and Resilience: A Case of Harvested Shrimp from Kerala, India

Recurrent natural disasters, the impact of economic turbulences, the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors have heightened concerns about constructing resilient systems. Supply chain weaknesses have been demonstrated in the past, encouraging the creation of preventative capabilities to retain competitiveness and respond to changes in both macro and local contexts. Examining the multiple risks presented in the culture and marketing of shrimp, as well as the measures taken by shrimp farmers to overcome the disturbances (producers of the group's most valuable commodity), could provide insight into the current situation and aid in decision-making. Agility, distribution network structure, visibility relating producers to final consumers, communication between supply chain partners, sharing of benefits and uncertainties, global mapping and collaborative actions across supply chain partners were the drivers of supply chain resilience. Uncertainties associated with demand, supply, operational and environmental conditions were identified as supply chain vulnerability factors. The shrimp farmers maintain a balance between dependability measures and risks in the industry and continue the business, knowing that overcoming vulnerability could result in even higher susceptibilities. © 2023 Institute of Rural Management.

Effect of E-beam irradiation on the qualitative attributes of shrimp (Penaeus vannamei)

As a non-thermal food processing technology, Electron beam (E-beam) irradiation has been used to enhance microbial safety by deactivating unwanted spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms in food industry. This study evaluated the effects of E-beam irradiation at doses killing SARS-COV-2 on qualities and sensory attributes. The results showed that irradiation caused little effect on the proximate composition, amino acid content, texture, and sensory attributes (P > 0.05). However, E-beam increased TBARS (Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) and lowered vitamin E content in dose-dependently. Irradiation up to 10 kGy significantly decreased unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) content and inhibited the increase in TVB-N (The total volatile basic nitrogen) while reducing cohesiveness and chewiness (P < 0.05). E-beam irradiation with 7–10 kGy caused greater ΔE values (ΔE > 5) via the significant increase of b*, accompanied by big visual difference in shrimp (P < 0.05). A dose of 4 kGy E-beam irradiation was recommended without altering its physicochemical properties and sensory attributes.

Comparative analysis of shrimp production in Ecuador in the 2010-2020 period

Efficiency in shrimp farming is due to the use of an extensive system that includes fewer larvae per pool, which increases productivity, improves financial results, and even the environmental impacts generated during these operations. The objective of this study was to identify the factors that affect supply in the Ecuadorian shrimp sector. To this end, some statistical techniques such as linear regression and hypothesis testing were used. A bibliographic study was carried out regarding shrimp production in Ecuador, taking as reference the data provided by the National Chamber of Aquaculture and public control entities and reviewing the unprecedented impact on the current COVID19 sanitary crisis and the reduction of shrimp demand affecting Ecuador's income. Finally, it was observed that the research variables considered directly impact crustacean production, and a mathematical model was established.

COVID-19 impacts on the Bangladesh shrimp industry: A sequential survey-based case study from southwestern Bangladesh.

Shrimp farming is fundamental to the national economy of Bangladesh, particularly through earning foreign currency. The nationwide lockdown and international cargo restriction jeopardized the sector and breaking its marketing chain. Assessing the degree of farming socio-economic peril from COVID-19 and suggesting early coping strategies and long-term mitigation measures are pressing to build resilience for this food production sector. To collect survey data, two key-informant face-to-face surveys with 51 shrimp farmers and 62 consumers in southwest Bangladesh were accomplished. As national lockdowns restricted access to export markets and movements within the country, farm incomes decreased against rising production costs. To compensate, farmers reduced their workforce (29.4%), but even with the sale of co-cultured finfish still suffered from large drops in revenue (42.8% average profit reduction). Furthermore, we present evidence that shrimp farmers should consider diversification of aquaculture product type as co-culture of additional shrimp species was a poor mitigation strategy against large market price fluctuations. Product price reductions were passed on to the consumer, who enjoyed falling product prices including more expensive shrimp products, but the markup for nearly all aquaculture products increased. The current jeopardy and consequences of shrimp farming future are discussed, including coping strategies to help policymakers in building resilience against future uncertainties. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12562-022-01630-0.

Shrimp Lipid Droplet Protein Perilipin Involves in the Pathogenesis of AHPND-Causing Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND), caused by a unique strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp (AHPND)), has become the world's most severe debilitating disease in cultured shrimp. Thus far, the pathogenesis of AHPND remains largely unknow. Herein, in Litopenaeus vannamei, we found that a Vp (AHPND) infection significantly increased the expression of lipid droplets (LDs) protein LvPerilipin, as well as promoted the formation of LDs. In addition, the knockdown of LvPerilipin increased the shrimp survival rate in response to the Vp (AHPND) infection, and inhibited the proliferation of Vp (AHPND). Furthermore, we demonstrated that LvPerilipin depletion could increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which may be responsible for the decreased Vp (AHPND) proliferation. Taken together, our current data for the first time reveal that the shrimp lipid droplets protein Perilipin is involved in the pathogenesis of Vp (AHPND) via promoting LDs accumulation and decreasing ROS production.

Retail market trends for seafood in the United States

Interest in retail seafood sales increased dramatically with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The diversity of species, types of products, product forms, and packaging of the seafood sold at retail, combined with diverse consumer preferences across the United States, requires detailed data and analysis to provide guidance and understanding of emerging trends. Weekly, store-based, Nielsen Scantrack data for the period of September 2016 through August 2021 were used to compare trends in US retail (supermarket) seafood sales across the 5-year study period, in continental regions, cities, and species categories sold. Results showed continuous increases in retail seafood sales over the study period at an average annual growth rate of 8.1%, much of which was fueled by the 21% increase in total sales (19.5% increase in quantity sold) the first year after the onset of the pandemic. The South Atlantic region was found to have the greatest total sales and sales per capita among regions. New York City had the greatest total seafood sales, followed by Los Angeles and Philadelphia. The top five most important species categories in terms of sales were, in declining order, shrimp, salmon, tuna, crab, and tilapia, although regional variability became apparent from the fourth-ranked species. The most important package sizes were 454- and 907-g packs. Frozen and refrigerated categories dominated sales (70% in 2021), with little growth in entrees and a decline in market share of shelf-stable seafood products in 2021. Retail supermarket seafood sales increased dramatically following the onset of the pandemic, with especially notable percentage increases in lobster (77%) and crab sales (70%) and the lowest percentage increases in tuna (1%) and tilapia (13%). Given that US per capita seafood consumption did not show a corresponding increase over the study period, study results likely indicate a shift to greater relative consumption at home and not an overall increase in US seafood sales.

Socio-economic progress of shrimp farming in Punjab

COVID-19 pandemic devastated the world with unprecedented economic crisis, leaving everyone confused and apprehended, including the livestock sector. As a resilience measure, shrimp farmers of Punjab were advised some remedial adaptations. Expecting good results, socio-economic evaluation of shrimp farmers from 3 south west districts (Fazilka, Sri Muktsar Sahib and Mansa) of the state was carried out. With enthusiastic participation of young (56.7% 35 years of age) and educated (50% graduates) farmers, overall 86.6% of the farmers followed the advisories. The pandemic delayed stocking of ponds, however 66.7% of farmers harvested 6.5 to 8.75 t shrimp ha crop . -1 -1 Non-availability of water testing facility within approachable distance emerged as the major constraint (80%), while only 6.66% farmers each reported marketing and seed related problems. With culture period of 101-120 (40%) and >120 (36.7%) days, 66.7% farmers obtained feed conversion ratio <1.2. Further, 43.3 and 36.7% farmers harvested shrimp with an average body weight of 31-35g and 26-30g, respectively and 100% farmers marketed shrimp at the farm site @ Rs. 301-400 (53.3%) and >Rs. 400/- (40%) kg, corresponding to net profit of >12.5 lakh -1 (60%) and 7.6-12.5 lakh (26.7%) ha . The adopted resilience plan helped the farmers to realize optimal economic returns from shrimp farming -1 in Punjab.

Estimating the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on alternative semi-intensive shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) production schedules in Mexico: a stochastic bioeconomic approach.

This study uses a stochastic bioeconomic approach to estimate the COVID-19 pandemic economic impact on shrimp farming in Mexico. Seeding-harvesting schedules - March-June, May-August, and August-November - were analyzed using shrimp prices and production costs corresponding to 2017-2019 (pre-pandemic) and 2020 (pandemic). The analyses estimated net revenue varied within 597.97-2758.88 USD$ ha-1 and 1262.40-1701.32 USD$ ha-1 under the pre-pandemic and pandemic scenarios, respectively. Significant decreases (38%) were estimated in net revenue values in March-June and May-August under the pandemic scenario. However, probability distributions estimated that uncertainty on the expected net revenues was not affected by the pandemic conditions, and the probability of losing was null or negligible in all the cases. Unfavorable conditions under the pandemic also required significantly higher break-even production for March-June (25.7%) and May-August (28.5%) schedules. The cost of post-larvae was the most important economic factor influencing net revenue. To conclude, although the operating conditions during the pandemic were conducive to worsening the economic outcome, no evidence still exists that uncertainty and economic risk increased compared with pre-pandemic conditions.

Technical efficiency analysis of shrimp farms in Andhra Pradesh, India using stochastic frontier approach

Brackishwater aquaculture sector is dominated by the exotic vannamei shrimp farming, which is the economic engine of Indian aquaculture. In 2019-20, exports of 12,89,651 t of Indian marine products fetched foreign exchange worth 246,662.85 crores and farmed shrimps accounted for about two-thirds of the shrimps exported. Shrimp farming is export oriented and market price often fluctuates widely impacting the profitability significantly. We conducted this study to estimate technical efficiency of the shrimp farmers in Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh which tops in shrimp aquaculture in the country. The data were collected through structured questionnaire using personal interview from 80 farmers during COVID 2020 pandemic period. The farm specific technical efficiency varied from 75 to 94% with a mean of 93%. The estimates of the discrepancy parameter ?? indicated that 93% of the difference between the maximum possible output and actual output were due to differences in technical inefficiencies of farmers. Feed and labour are the significant variables compared to other variables. The results indicated that farmers need to be encouraged to apply more feed to increase shrimp production.

Typology of Smallholder and Commercial Shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) Farms, including Threats and Challenges in Davao Region, Philippines

The shrimp industry in the Philippines plays a vital role in the local and national economy through exports to markets abroad such as South Korea, Japan, the USA, and others. In this study, we aimed to describe the various cultural and operational characteristics of smallholder and commercial shrimp (P. vannamei) farms in the Davao region. We also evaluated the current risks and challenges faced by the shrimp farmers. A semi-structured questionnaire that focused on shrimp farmers and operators in the region was used to collect data from N = 41 farmers and operators. The results showed that respondents who were engaged in smallholder farming activities had an average yield of 10 tons/ha. The commercial farms that operate intensively had an average yield of 24 tons/ha. Most smallholder operators used electric generator machines to conduct aeration in their farms using paddlewheels and blowers. More paddlewheels and blowers were employed per pond in the commercial farms compared to smallholder farms. Generally, the income of a farm was related to their yield or the number of fries rather than social factors or their size. In terms of input costs, feeds were found to have the highest cost, followed by the fry, fuel, labor, and others (fertilizers and water treatment chemicals). Most of the farmers mentioned that their shrimp are affected by diseases such as white spot syndrome (60%), black gills (35%), and red tail (5%). They perceived that the main contamination comes from the water source (31%). The main threats mentioned were declining shrimp prices in the market, source of fry, water disposal, overstocking, and water quality. This study shows that small-holding fish farmers should be supported by the government so that they can make use of the more advanced technology employed by commercial shrimp farmers in order to increase their economic productivity and lower their environmental footprint.

General fisheries commission for the Mediterranean: report of the webinar on the experience of the aquaculture sector through best practices and mitigation measures facing the COVID-19 crisis, 1 July 2020

This report presents the outcomes of the webinar on "the experience of the aquaculture sector through best practices and mitigation measures facing the COVID-19 crisis" which took place on 1 July 2020 and was conducted over the internet and hosted on the Zoom platform for webinars. It was organized by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in cooperation with the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI). The webinar aimed to address the pandemic's effects on aquaculture production as well as on supply chains, demand, local markets and trade, and to identify best practices and mitigation measures adopted by aquaculture farmers and countries. During the first thematic session, the experts highlighted the difficulties the aquaculture sector faced due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, several mitigation approaches were pointed out: (i) specific financial support programmes designed through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF);(ii) a strong national aquaculture strategy guaranteeing self-sufficiency along the entire supply chain of shrimp farming in Saudi Arabia;(iii) the issuing of subsidies and credit loans in a timely manner to help producers in Turkey;(iv) the development of an online platform for fish auctioning to boost fisheries supply chain in Oman;(v) companies opening direct communication channels between the government and the farms in the United Arab Emirates;and (vi) solidarity between the sector and consumers, which allowed for the achievement of 50 percent of the programmed goals in the fish feed and larval industry in Tunisia. Other points addressed during the second thematic session included specific measures adopted and proposed, such as the focus on different aquaculture final products (e.g. frozen fish) and the establishment of local hatcheries and fish feed factories. The Q/A session which followed concluded the webinar.

Optimisation of feed margins: as COVID-19 presents a real crisis for the aquaculture industry, it could also induce improvements in shrimp farming

This article describes the economic impact of COVID-19 to the global aquaculture industry and possible mitigation procedures to improve the supply, breeding and genetics, farming techniques, feed formulation, production costs, marketing and prices. The results of studies regarding the beneficial effects of proteinases on the growth performance and nitrogen digestibility and excretion in fishes and shrimp are also presented.

Covid-19 Opens up domestic market for Indian shrimp.

COVID-19 pandemic presents both a challenge and an opportunity to the Indian shrimp sector. With revitalizing the institutional arrangements and redirecting the focus, the Indian shrimp industry can flourish just by adapting to the needs of the local demand, even when the export prospects are uncertain. This paper takes a historical perspective of Indian shrimp farming and exports and suggests a domestic alternative/supplementary market for Indian farmed shrimp, resulting from COVID-19.