Coastal Shrimp Aquaculture in Thailand: Key Issues for Research Editor: Paul T. Smith Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Canberra 1999 The Australian Centre for International Research (ACIAR) was established in June 1982 by an Act of the Australian Parliament. Its mandate is to help identify agricul- tural problems in developing countries and commission research between Australian and developing country researchers in fields where Australia has special research competence. Where trade names are used this constitutes neither endorsement of nor discrimina- tion against any product by the Centre. ACIAR TECHNICAL REPORTS SERIES This series of publications contains technical information resulting from ACIAR-supported programs, projects and workshops (for which proceedings are not published), reports on Centre-supported fact-finding studies, or reports on other useful topics resulting from ACIAR activities. Publications in the series are distributed internationally to a selected audience. © Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research, GPO Box 1571, Can- berra, ACT 2601 Australia. Email:<[email protected]>. Home page: <http://aciar. gov.au>. Smith, P.T., ed. 1999. Coastal shrimp aquaculture in Thailand: key issues for research. ACIAR Technical Reports No. 47, 131p. ISBN 1 86320 273 0 Typesetting and layout: Arawang Communication Group, Canberra. ! Contents Preface 5 Acknowledgments 6 Glossary and abbreviations 6 Executive Summary 7 Paul T. Smith, Hassanai Konkeo, Siri Tookwinas and Michael J. Phillips An Assessment of the Status of Shrimp Farming in Thailand 14 Sue Jenkins, Paul T. Smith, Siri Tookwinas and Michael J. Phillips Abstract 14 Shrimp Farming in Thailand15 Local Socioeconomic Impacts of Shrimp Farming 24 Production Practices and Techniques 26 Impacts of the Environment on Shrimp Farming 33 Impacts of Shrimp Farming on the Environment 36 Research Organisations, Education and Training, and Export of Shrimp Farming Knowledge 41 Thai Government Policy and Shrimp Farming 44 Sustainability, Sustainable Development and Sustainable Shrimp Farming 48 Some Key Researchable Constraints 50 In Search of Variables Contributing to Production of Shrimp and Identifying Shrimp Farming Provinces in Thailand 69 Than Pe and Paul T. Smith Abstract 69 Introduction 69 Results of the Analysis 70 Application of GIS to Logistic Regression Analysis 74 Variables Contributing to Shrimp Production 78 Application of GIS to Modelling Shrimp Production 79 Conclusions 82 Bibliography 83 Appendix 84 " ! Priorities for Shrimp Research in Thailand and the Region 93 Paul T. Smith and Michael J. Phillips Abstract 93 Background93 Perceived Constraints to Sustainability and Preferred Weighting for Research Funding 94 Results of Workshop Discussions and the Post-Workshop Survey 96 Conclusions 105 References 106 Appendices 107 Member Institutions 129 Participants 130 # ! Preface ‘Key Researchable Issues in Sustainable Coastal Shrimp Aquaculture in Thailand’ was a project, which originated in 1994 through a proposal to the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) by Professor Ian White and Dr Ban- chong Tiensongrusmee. Because of their enthusiasm and energy, the proposal became a reality. Substantial credit for the final outcome is due to their initial work, even though unfortunately neither leader was able to continue with the project. The original aim of the project (ACIAR project number FIS/1993/843) was to examine all issues relevant to the sustainability of modern shrimp aquaculture in Thailand. As the project developed, the geographical scope was broadened to include the Asia–Pacific region. As part of this development, a workshop was held in Hat Yai, Songkhla in 1996 and the proceedings of this meeting are published in an accompanying volume (Smith, P.T. ed. 1999. Towards sustainable shrimp culture in Thailand and the region. ACIAR Proceedings No. 90). By the time of its completion in 1999, the project and its team members had wit- nessed an interesting and critical period in the shrimp farming industry, both in Thai- land and the Asia–Pacific region. The industry in Thailand, for example, reached a peak level of production in 1994–5, and subsequently declined as a result of out- breaks of shrimp viral disease; in response new approaches to management were developed which are now leading to improvements in production. At the same time there have been other major influences, such as the financial crisis in 1997, changes in the international trading situation and an increasingly global emphasis on sustaina- bility issues in shrimp aquaculture. The first part of this technical report describes the modern shrimp farming indus- try in Thailand. This sets the scene for the second part: a statistical analysis of a com- prehensive survey of shrimp farms in Thailand. Finally, the results of a survey of the Hat Yai workshop participants, based on the major research issues identified during the workshop, are presented and analysed. This process and analysis has resulted in the identification and prioritisation of key issues for research in the development of sustainable shrimp aquaculture in Thailand, and elsewhere in the region. The members of the project are appreciative of the enormous assistance provided by colleagues in universities, research institutions and the shrimp farming industry. It is a pleasure to acknowledge the funding provided by ACIAR, and the support of the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia–Pacific (NACA), the Department of Fisher- ies of Thailand, and Kasetsart University in Bangkok. The support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in providing financial support to the shrimp farm survey is also gratefully acknowledged. This publication is the fruit of the goodwill and combined efforts of all members of the project. Paul T. Smith Project Leader University of Western Sydney Macarthur $ ! Acknowledgments Grant support for this work came from the Australian Centre for International Agri- cultural Research (ACIAR), Fisheries Research Institute, Grant Number 93/843. Data from the 1995 Shrimp farm survey were provided by the Thailand Department of Fisheries, the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia–Pacific (NACA) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Glossary and Abbreviations Amphur The word for district in Thailand. Baht The baht is the Thai unit of currency. There are around 35 baht to the Australian dollar (as of May 1998). BOD Biochemical oxygen demand Changwat The word for province in Thailand District Each province in Thailand is sub-divided into districts. The number of districts in each province varies. Also called amphoe. DOF Department of Fisheries FCR Feed conversion ratio GIS Geographical information system NACA Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia–Pacific ppt parts per thousand Province Thailand is divided into 71 provinces. Also called changwat. Rai The rai is a measure of a unit of land in Thailand. One rai = 1,600 m2. There are 6.25 rai per hectare. Shrimp In Australia and some other countries, marine and brackish-water species of shrimp are usually referred to as a prawns. SPSS Statistical Package for Social Scientists % ! Executive Summary Paul T. Smith*, Hassanai Kongkeo†, Siri Tookwinas§ and Michael J. Phillips† Introduction This report describes the results of a study that was carried out from 1994 to 1999 into the researchable issues in sustainable coastal shrimp aquaculture in Thailand. This was a period in which the shrimp farming industry in Thailand became the world’s leading producer of farmed shrimp but also had to confront new shrimp dis- eases, trade issues and environmental concerns. In many respects, the shrimp farming industry in Thailand has reached a crossroads—the first ten years of the modern industry were characterised by rapid growth, while the last five years have been char- acterised by stability and even some decline in total production. Peak production occurred in 1994 with 264,000 t, but annual production subsequently declined to an estimated 210,000–234,000 t in 1998, worth US$1,472 million in exports. Recent events suggest that the future for shrimp farming in Thailand, and the region, will depend on the industry’s ability to focus on the development of sustainable practices. The aim of this study was to provide industry, researchers and government depart- ments with a contemporary view of the key researchable issues in developing sus- tainable coastal shrimp culture, based largely on Thailand’s experience. The Objectives The project commenced in November 1994 with a Workshop in Bangkok that defined the aims and objectives of the study. The scope of the study was broadened during the course of the project to provide a regional perspective and investigate opportunities for linkages within the region. The objectives of the project were as follows. • To explore relationships between shrimp production and environmental factors for the sustainable utilisation of land and water resources for coastal shrimp aqua- culture. • To use the outputs of objective 1 to identify key researchable issues in sustainable coastal shrimp aquaculture in Thailand and the region. • To define, in consultation with regional research partners, the scope of a collabo- rative research project that could address the priority research issues in sustaina- ble coastal shrimp aquaculture identified by the study, and prepare a research proposal to the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) for possible funding. * University of Western Sydney