Improving Shrimp Practices in Latin America
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IMPROVING SHRIMP MARICULTURE in LATIN AMERICA GOOD MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (GMPS) to R EDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS and IMPROVE EFFICIENCY of S HRIMP AQUACULTURE in LATIN AMERICA and an ASSESSMENT of P RACTICES in the HONDURAN SHRIMP INDUSTRY Claude E. Boyd P.O. Box 3074 Auburn,Alabama 36831 U.S.A. Maria C. Haws Coastal Resources Center University of Rhode Island Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882 U.S.A. Bartholomew W. Green Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquaculture Auburn University,Alabama 36849-5419 U.S.A. TABLE of C ONTENTS Preface___________________________________________________________________ 1 1.0 Rationale for Developing GMPs ____________________________________________ 3 2.0 Characteristics of Good Management Practices__________________________________ 5 3.0 Who Can Benefit from Good Management Practices _____________________________ 7 4.0 Methodology Used in Developing Good Management Practices ______________________ 8 5.0 The Scope and Intent of Good Management Practices _____________________________ 10 6.0 Characteristics of the Honduras Shrimp Industry ________________________________ 12 7.0 Site Selection _________________________________________________________ 16 7.1 Topography ______________________________________________________ 17 7.2 Hydrology and Hydrography__________________________________________ 18 7.3 Soil Characteristics ________________________________________________ 18 7.4 Infrastructure and Operational Considerations _____________________________ 19 8.0 Farm Design and Construction _____________________________________________ 22 8.1 Layout__________________________________________________________ 22 8.2 Pump Stations ____________________________________________________ 23 8.3 Water Supply Canals _______________________________________________ 24 8.4 Pond and Embankment Construction____________________________________ 25 8.5 Discharge and Intake Canals __________________________________________ 30 9.0 Farm Operations _______________________________________________________ 32 9.1 Source of Post-larvae _______________________________________________ 32 9.2 Pond Preparation __________________________________________________ 34 9.3 Stocking Density __________________________________________________ 36 9.4 Feeds and Feed Management __________________________________________ 37 9.5 Fertilization and Phytoplankton Management ______________________________ 42 9.6 Water Exchange and Freshwater Input ___________________________________ 44 9.7 Dissolved Oxygen Management________________________________________ 48 9.8 Liming _________________________________________________________ 49 9.9 Health Management _______________________________________________ 51 9.10 Chemical and Biological Agents ________________________________________ 54 9.11 Pond Bottom and Sediment Management _________________________________ 55 9.12 Predator Control __________________________________________________ 56 9.13 Effluent Management _______________________________________________ 57 9.14 Water Quality Monitoring ___________________________________________ 63 10.0 Decisionmaking and Operations Management __________________________________ 66 11.0 Effects of a Natural Disaster (Hurricane Mitch) on Shrimp Farming Management _________ 68 12.0 Conclusions and Recommendations _________________________________________ 69 12.1 Specific Recommendations ___________________________________________ 69 13.0 Note to Readers and Acknowledgements _____________________________________ 76 References________________________________________________________________ 77 Appendix A Assessment of the Adoption Level of Good Management Practices: Field Survey Materials and Methods _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 81 Appendix B Summary of the Results: Assessment of the Adoption Level of Good Management Practices in Health Management, Fertilization, and Feeding _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 84 ABSTRACT Practices that can be used to improve the efficiency and reduce the negative environmental impacts of shrimp farming are presented. The practices are called good management practices (GMPs) instead of best management practices (BMPs), because the best ways of reducing environmental impacts in shrimp farming are still evolving. The practices were developed specifically for shrimp culture in Latin American countries and represent an effort to move from the level of general Codes of Practices accepted at international levels to good management prac- tices applicable to specific regional industries. The recom- mended GMPs were developed using a participatory process and with the assistance of the National Honduran Aquaculture Association (ANDAH). Many of the practices are applicable to shrimp farming anywhere in the world and to most other types of pond aquaculture. Further modifications and refinements are anticipated for these GMPs as a result of continued collaboration with shrimp producers and aquacultural scientists. A field survey was conducted to evaluate the degree of adoption by Honduran shrimp producers of selected GMPs believed to be the most critical including feeding, fertilization and health management practices. Survey findings indicate that overall adoption was about 70 percent. In the process of conducting the field survey, a number of areas were detected where improvement is needed; this information can be used to guide research, training and extension priorities. evaluate the degree of adoption by Honduran shrimp PREFACE producers of selected GMPs believed to be the most critical including feeding, fertilization and health man- agement practices. Survey findings indicate that overall Practices that can be used to improve the efficiency and adoption is about 70 percent. In the process of con- reduce environmental impacts of shrimp farming are ducting the field survey, a number of areas were presented in this report.The practices are called good detected where improvement is needed; recommenda- management practices (GMPs) rather than best man- tions in these areas for research, training and extension agement practices (BMPs), because the best ways of are also presented in this report. reducing environmental impacts in shrimp farming are still evolving.These practices were developed specifi- The success of this work on GMPs has resulted in sev- cally for shrimp culture in Honduras, although most eral follow-up projects and activities in Central will be applicable throughout Latin America. America and Mexico that directly build on the work Development of these GMPs represents an effort to and findings described here.These activities are being move from generic Codes of Practices prepared at the supported by the United States Agency for international level to detailed good management prac- International Development (USAID), United States tices applicable to specific regional industries. Department of Agriculture, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The GMPs presented in this document represent a consensus among scientists, Honduran industry mem- bers and environmental managers of what constitutes a good management practice that could be implemented This report was prepared in collaboration with the by producers under current circum- Honduran National Aquaculture Association stances. A field survey was conducted to (ANDAH), and with funding from ANDAH and the USAID Office of Regional Sustainable Development, Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean.The University of Rhode Island’s Coastal Resources Center (CRC) provided overall leadership for the effort. CRC COASTAL RESOURCES CENTER University of Rhode Island 1 is dedicated to advancing coastal management world- The authors of this report are Dr. Maria C. Haws, wide through field projects, research and learning, University of Hawaii at Hilo, and Dr. Claude E. Boyd education and training, and networking and informa- and Dr. Bartholomew W.Green from the International tion sharing.Through its cooperative agreement with Center for Aquaculture and Aquatic Environments, USAID, CRC has lead a series of applied research Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquaculture, activities to develop methods and strategies for Auburn University.A team of international experts enhancing the environmental and economic sustain- reviewed and provided comments on the content of an ability of shrimp aquaculture.The Department of earlier draft of the report. Financial support for publi- Fisheries and Allied Aquaculture, Auburn University, is cation of this report comes in part from Auburn dedicated to sustainable aquaculture and fisheries University. development and has active research programs in the US and overseas. 2 COASTAL RESOURCES CENTER University of Rhode Island RATIONALE for DEVELOPING agement initiatives may not be available. Even a well- conceived and implemented regulatory approach can GOOD MANAGEMENT 1.0 be inadequate to the task of ensuring sustainable aqua- PRACTICES culture practice. Like other forms of aquaculture, shrimp aquaculture Shrimp aquaculture takes many forms, and each type has a bright future. Shrimp aquaculture has grown may be practiced in a number of ways. Decisions that rapidly from accounting for less than 10 percent of affect the environment and productivity are made on a total world shrimp production in 1984, to nearly 25 daily basis by individuals with a wide range of technical percent since 1990 (FAO 1996). Demand for fisheries capacity.The diversity and complexity of this activity products continues