Shrimp Hatchery Development in Brazil

SHRIMP FARMING IN
BRAZIL
Shrimp Hatchery Development in Brazil
Successful History of Seedstock Production
Ana Carolina de Barros Guerrelhas
Aquatec Industrial Pecuária Ltda.
Caixa Postal 04
Canguaretama, Rio Grande do Norte
Brasil CEP 59190-000
[email protected]
arine shrimp hatcheries developed progressively in Brazil, in
M
a manner similar to that of most other
countries, with the exception that exotic shrimp species were produced in
the country early on. This forced the
industry to adopt a more complex technological approach because of the need
to master breeding techniques and close
the life cycle of the cultured species
from the beginning.
Copyright © 2003, Global Aquaculture Alliance. Do not reproduce without permission.
Hatchery Development
Shrimp hatchery activities in the
southern region of Brazil began in
1972 and the northeast in 1973 with
the establishment of a government project, Projeto Camarão (Shrimp Project),
in the city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. The species produced was the native pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis), a closed-thelycum species
that did not require complex breeding
facilities.
Ocean-caught, egg-carrying females
were brought to the lab and spawned,
with larval rearing done in cement
tanks in a closed environment. At the
time, hatchery activities were done at
an experimental scale, without any
large commercial farming areas. Wild
postlarvae (PL) were frequently caught
in estuaries and stocked in large ponds
of 20-80 ha, or the floodgates of tanks
were opened to allow estuarine water
– along with wild PL – to fill them,
with several different shrimp species
produced concurrently.
Species Introductions
The difficulties encountered in the
development of a technological package based on native shrimp species
that would make the business economically viable led to the introduction of
exotic species for which production
technology was available and success-
Outdoor production tanks at a shrimp hatchery in Brazil.
ful in other countries. As a consequence,
shrimp breeding and PL production in
captivity developed on a commercial
scale to meet the increasing demands
of an expanding growout industry. At
times, three different shrimp species
were concurrently produced by one
hatchery, and the know-how was there
to produce up to five species, including both closed- and open-thelycum
species.
In 1980, the Kuruma shrimp (Marsupenaeus japonicus) was introduced,
followed by the black tiger shrimp
(Penaeus monodon) in 1981, Pacific
white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)
and Pacific blue shrimp (L. stylirostris) in 1983, and redtail shrimp (Fenneropenaeus penicillatus) in 1984. All
these introductions took place in the
states of Rio Grande do Norte and
Bahia in the northeastern region of
Brazil in an effort to develop large saltproduction areas that had been in economic decline.
In addition to the introduced species
above, PL of the following native species were also produced on a commercial scale: Farfantepenaeus subtilis in
the northeast, Litopenaeus schmitti in
the northeast and south, and Farfantepenaeus paulensis in the south.
F. penicillatus and L. stylirostris are
currently not produced on a commercial scale, but only for the maintenance
of the lineage. F. subtilis is produced
on an experimental scale with the same
technology used for L. vannamei in an
attempt to confirm whether it is commercially viable for production at highdensity levels.
The development of shrimp hatcheries in Brazil is intimately linked to
the history of commercial shrimp farming. In 1994, around 30 farmers with
2,385 ha of ponds produced 1,996 tons
of mostly pink shrimp, F. subtilis. Commercial production of L. vannamei
began in 1983, but only in 1995 did that
species predominate. By 1998, 113
farmers produced 7,260 tons of L. vannamei on 4,320 ha.
Broodstock-Sourcing
Procedures
There were three historical stages
in the development of shrimp hatcheries in Brazil, with some overlap.
Exotic shrimp species forced the industry
to adopt a complex technological approach
because of the need to master breeding techniques and close the life cycle of the species.
GLOBAL AQUACULTURE ADVOCATE APRIL 2003
67
The replacement of the native species with L. vannamei brought about
profound changes in the Brazilian shrimp-farming industry that impacted
both hatcheries and farms.
1972-1985
Offshore collection of pregnant females of native, closed-thelycum species, which spawned on the same day
they were caught. This was the simplest method, and it worked adequately
for the seedstock demand at the time.
1980-1985
Broodstock production through
growout of PL in ponds to maturity,
with collection of pregnant females
ready to spawn in one or two days.
This system was implemented with
both native, closed-thelycum species
and introduced species. All the latter
were initially also closed-thelycum
species. This procedure represented an
improvement over the collection of
wild females from the ocean.
1983-Present
Raising broodstock animals from
PL stocked in ponds and reared to sexual maturity size, then transferred to
cement tanks for maturation under controlled conditions of salinity, temperature, photoperiod, and feeding. Ablation of females to induce gonadal development and then mating and spawning. This stage only became prominent
after the introduction of L. vannamei,
an open-thelycum species that requires
controlled conditions under captivity
to complete its reproductive cycle.
Larviculture Procedures
The production of larvae also developed in three major phases with
some overlap.
1972-1985
Stocking with nauplii obtained from
the spawning of wild females, at a
density of 50-70 nauplii/l, using a single-step production system without
any control of environmental parameters, and feeding of microalgae and
processed frozen foods.
1980-1998
Hatcheries use efficient water-filtration systems to assure water quality.
1999-Present
Stocking with nauplii of females
raised in captivity, at a density of 200400 nauplii/l, in a one- or two-step process, with temperature and salinity control, and feeding with microalgae and
dry diets.
Consolidation of L. vannamei
The replacement of the native species with L. vannamei brought about
profound changes in the Brazilian
shrimp-farming industry that impacted both hatcheries and farms. Because
L. vannamei was not a native species,
it was mandatory to complete its reproductive cycle in captivity. During
the first few years, ponds were stocked
in Bahia with wild PL brought in from
Ecuador, eventually closing the cycle
in Brazil for the first time.
At the time, expected results were
not met, which we know today was due
to the origin of the animals. If this initial attempt had utilized animals from
Panama, the result would have been
totally different. In 1991, wild adults
began to be imported from Panama, as
well as other countries such as Mexi-
Table 1. Reproductive performance of L. vannamei breeding stocks
domesticated in Brazil compared to wild stocks from Ecuador and Panama.
Stocking with nauplii of females
raised in captivity, at a density of 50120 nauplii/l in a single-step process
without control of the environmental
parameters, and feeding with microalgae and processed frozen foods.
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co, El Salvador, Venezuela, and the
United States, with Panama the primary source.
The great distance between Brazil
and the producing countries, the growth
of the activity in Central America that
increased the demand for broodstock,
and the entry of diseased shrimp
through imports led Brazil in 1998 to
begin investing more directly in the
technology for breeding broodstock in
captivity, maturation, and genetic improvement.
During this period, animals in
Brazil had already been infected with
Infectious Hypodermal and Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHHNV, which
causes Runt Deformity Syndrome),
Taura Syndrome Virus (TSV), and
Necrotizing Hepatopancreatitis (NHP).
White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV)
appeared in Central America and various South American countries in
1999. Due mainly to the dangers presented by this last disease, imports of
crustaceans in any condition (live,
frozen, and others) to Brazil were prohibited to prevent the introduction of
WSSV into the country.
GLOBAL AQUACULTURE ADVOCATE APRIL 2003
Parameter
Ecuador
Panama
Brazil
Reproductive size
Reproductive age
Matings/day %
Nauplii/female
+ 45g
+ 45g
2.5
120,000
10
180,000
35g
9 months
8
140,000
Annual production of PL increased by 635% from 1998 to 2002, while
farmed shrimp production increased by 828% during the same period.
All these factors favored the country’s industry becoming independent
in its production of L. vannamei PL
and, more importantly, the production
of seedstock adapted to local environmental and culture conditions. Table 1
includes reproductive performance
data showing the efficiency of the
breeding stocks domesticated in Brazil
in comparison to the wild breeding
stocks initially brought from Ecuador
and Panama.
Some hatcheries select for reproductive improvement, with emphasis
on the percentage of daily mating and
number of nauplii per female. From
the broodstock ponds, these animals
are transferred to tanks where they are
quarantined for 10-30 days, or placed
directly in the maturation tanks to begin
breeding. There is an estimated broodstock production of 240,000 animals/
year, of which around 150,000 are
used in the various hatcheries.
Seedstock Production
Maturation and Spawning
Table 2 shows the development of
marine shrimp hatcheries in Brazil.
Annual production of PL increased by
635% from 1998 to 2002, while farmed shrimp production increased by
828% during the same period – evidence of the joint improvement of both
the quality of the PL produced and
growout farm management techniques.
The production of 11.4 billion PL
in 2002 was distributed among eight
states. Rio Grande do Norte was the
absolute leader in 2002, followed by
Ceará, Bahia, and Pernambuco. Hatcheries are distributed and dispersed
throughout Brazil, close to the farming areas to assure the supply of seedstock to the growout operations.
Projections for 2003 include increases in the number of hatcheries to
35 and production to 16.4 billion PL.
The industry will be well supplied with
PL to support the 14,000 ha of ponds
expected to be under production in
2003, with a projected total production of 90,000 tons.
Of the 28 existing hatcheries, 16
have facilities for the production of
nauplii, allowing for the production of
5.4 billion nauplii/month and 1.6 billion PL/month. Seven hatcheries produce 3-15 million PL/month, 10 hatcheries produce 16-50 million PL/month,
Broodstock feeds often combine frozen
squid, oysters, clams, mussels, and
commercial feeds.
seven units produce 51-100 million
PL/month, one each that produce 101200 and 201-300 million PL/month,
and two units that generate more than
300 million PL/month.
Brazilians comprise 90% of the
labor force of hatcheries. These include 1,100 technicians, 100 of whom
have a higher-education degree.
Production Components
There are some variations from
one hatchery to another in the productive components involved, but the following description is typical.
Broodstock Production
With the exception of one hatchery
– which has been developing a family-based genetic improvement program
since 1998 – all hatcheries select from
growout ponds the largest, deformityfree animals and stock them at low
densities into smaller ponds, where they
spend up to nine months until they
reach 35-40 g. There is no monitoring
as to pedigree and genetic variability,
although this mass-based selection leads
to improved growth and survival.
Table 2. Historical development of marine shrimp hatcheries in Brazil.
Sub = Farfantepenaeus subtilis, Van = Litopenaeus vannamei.
Parameter
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
No. hatcheries
PL (million/yr)
Species
8
499
Sub
8
565
Van
8
672
Van
13
13
1,294 1,800
Van
Van
1999
2000
15
15
3,121 4,489
Van
Van
2001
2002
23
28
7,900 11,441
Van
Van
Broodstock maturation is done with
natural or artificial photoperiod, controlled water temperature and salinity,
and ocular ablation of females. With
one exception, all hatcheries use open
water flow systems. Feeds used include
frozen squid; fresh or frozen oysters,
clams, or mussels; frozen Artemia biomass; and inert commercial broodstock feeds. Polychaete imports were
prohibited in 1999 as part of a program to prevent the introduction of
WSSV into the country.
Regarding maturation, duration is
90-180 days, with 5-15% of animals
mating daily and 50-80% eggs fertilized. The number of nauplii per female
typically ranges 60,000-140,000.
Larviculture
Larviculture involves either a single phase from nauplius to PL10 or a
two-phase system – phase 1: nauplius
to PL1 and phase 2: PL2-PL10. Usually,
the eggs and nauplii are washed and
disinfected with iodine and/or formaldehyde before being stocked in the
larval-rearing tanks. Some hatcheries
control the water temperature. Several microalgae species, commercial
feeds, and recently hatched Artemia
nauplii are used to feed the larvae.
Table 3 summarizes larviculture production data.
Effluent Treatment
Most hatcheries treat their effluent
water by filtration and then release it
using gravity infiltration through perforated PVC pipes buried in the sand.
Only one hatchery chlorinates its effluents, while two others use oxidation ponds and discharge directly to a
GLOBAL AQUACULTURE ADVOCATE APRIL 2003
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Practices keep changing to better support environmental sustainability while improving production efficiency and profitability.
Table 7. Summary of production data for larviculture operations.
Parameter
Value
Survival from nauplius to PL10
Age sold
Density in phase 1
Density in phase 2
Density in single phase
Microalgae used
20-80%
PL8-PL15
120-400 larvae/l
40-150 larvae/l
100-250 larvae/l
Chaetoceros, Tetraselmis, Thalassiossira,
Navicula, Dunaliella
natural body of water. Physicochemical analyses of the drainage water are
made in two hatcheries on a monthly
and quarterly basis.
Improved PL Quality
The seedstock currently produced
is very different from that produced a
decade ago. Currently, PL have lower
levels of IHHNV and increased resistance to TSV. They are also adapted to
the varying pond conditions (23-33°
C, 0-70 ppt salinities) and stocking densities (10-150 animals/m2) used during
growout. Weight gains and survival
rates have also been improved. This
adaptability is evidence of the adequate
genetic makeup that still sustains these
lineages.
Future Challenges
The industry faces greater challenges as it moves forward, because
management practices keep changing
to better conform to and support environmental sustainability and industry
responsibility goals while improving
production efficiency and profitability. Other shrimp species have begun to
attract the interest of producers, and
the hatchery sector of the industry
needs to consider adapting to introduce these new species into the productive processes.
New diseases may arise, and with
these, improved production methods
and specifically resistant lineages. Genetic improvement techniques are being
incorporated into the hatchery sector
to further support the constant improvement in seedstock quality. Improvements have been achieved for at least
the last decade without exerting undue,
restrictive pressure on the genetic variability of stocks.
Conclusion
The marine shrimp hatchery industry in Brazil developed very successfully and is the basis for a thriving
shrimp-farming sector. One reason for
this success is that Brazilian hatcheries
effectively followed and incorporated
global industry trends and innovations, even though the country is relatively distant from the main technology and shrimp production centers.
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GLOBAL AQUACULTURE ADVOCATE APRIL 2003