ISSUE FOCUS 34 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE September 2022 BOUNCING BACK TO BLACK – INDIAN CONTEXT “Production challenges at higher stocking densities and fluctuating prices for small sizes of white leg shrimp have prompted the farming of black tiger shrimp in India. Farmers' growing demand for SPF black tiger PL spurred hatchery operators to import more broodstock.” The immense resources (1.2 million hectares of brackish water) available are one of the primary forces driving the rise of the shrimp farming industry in India. The commercialization of white leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) had a significant impact on the market, which reached an all-time high of approximately 815,745 metric tonnes (MT) during 2020-21, with Andhra Pradesh leading the way, followed by Gujarat and Tamil Nadu far behind. The boom in vannamei shrimp production and export has eclipsed the native shrimp species, Penaeus monodon (black tiger shrimp), which was dominating until 2003. In 2020-21, the total output of black tiger shrimp was 27,616 MT, with West Bengal forging ahead, followed by Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. For the past few years, the major extensive producers of black tiger shrimp (West Bengal and Kerala) have shown a falling trend in production, while Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat have been attempting to set the pace with their keen interest in farming P. monodon due to the availability of Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) Post Larvae (PL) in India since 2021. ENTRANCE OF THE WHITE LEG White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) issues affecting black tiger shrimp production deterred investment in the sector, forcing many farmers and investors to quit. While farmers were looking for a remedy to the decline in output caused by WSSV, the introduction of white leg shrimp in 2009, which was characterised by higher productivity and superior disease resistance, provided them with a happy side to quench their thirst and revitalise the sector. Vertically integrated companies were also the first to experiment with L. vannamei farming in corporate farms. It only took a few years after Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) permission for Indian farmers and investors to switch virtually entirely to L. vannamei. Aside from being more productive and disease resistant, the availability of SPF broodstock and PL and the competency for intensive farming with increased profits remained the primary drivers of species transition among hatcheries, farmers, and processors. Farmers that wished to adhere to black tiger shrimp found it challenging when the industry around them shifted toward L. vannamei. This boosted L. vannamei output in India. RETURN OF THE BLACK TIGER Despite the fact that most farmers made the switch, some in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, purchased R. Dinesh Assistant Professor Mandapam Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture (MCeSA), TNJFU, India
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