56 MARCH 2017 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG a deteriorating environment, underscores the importance of proper standard operation procedures that can be used in shrimp farming. Operational Procedures Three basic principles are the pillars of the operational procedure used on the farm. These are: 1) not a single drop of untreated water is to be used, 2) strict observance of biosecurity, and 3) tight control of feed management. The premise for farming shrimp in most areas nowadays is that seawater is loaded with high concentrations of organic matter and hence pathogenic bacteria and disease vectors. The seawater that is to be used must be thoroughly treated and sterilized. In Lampung Gold Coin R&D farm, all seawater is treated with at least 30 ppm active chlorine (Fig. 3), which is then neutralized before it is used to culture shrimp. The second pillar is strict adherence to biosecurity. Vehicle tire sprays, footbaths, and handwashing look trivial and trifling but they are significant in preventing infectious disease sources and vectors. Crab fencing is important to prevent crabs in outlet canals from entering ponds, especially at night. Selection of post-larvae that are screened by PCR tests to be free of viruses (IMNV, WSSV and IHHNV) is an Is it possible to farm shrimp under challenging conditions? At a Gold Coin R&D farm in Kalianda, Lampung in Sumatra, Indonesia (Figs. 1 and 2), this has been demonstrated to be possible. The R&D farm is surrounded by many other farms in a small area, resulting in rampant cross contamination with diseases. The farm is also fed by a small stream whose mouth was formerly blocked by a sandbar during the dry season, making water intake a serious problem at that time of year. The farm’s outlet canal is higher than pond bottoms, and the soil is very sandy, so ponds can never be drained completely to dry the bottoms. Obviously it is very problematic to farm shrimp in this area. Gold Coin took up the challenge and rented the farm for R&D in early 2011. Sixteen crops have been harvested since then with average shrimp survival rate of 83 percent, an FCR of 1.53, and a size at harvest of 16 g. The average culture period was 94 d at a density of 97/m2. The average pond area farmed was 2.4 ha per cycle with average productivity of 13.9 t/ha. These results were considered mediocre but, to be able to farm shrimp consistently and sufficiently profitable through six years in rather traditional earthen ponds in Success in Farming Shrimp in Earthen Ponds under Challenging Conditions Yong Thong Poh FIGURE 1. The Gold Coin R&D farm is located in southern Sumatra. FIGURE 2. A close up of the farm. FIGURE 3. Application of calcium hypochlorite to sterilize pond water. FIGURE 4. Biosecurity measures. Left: crab fence. Right: spraying sterilizing agent on truck tires. FIGURE 5. Excessive food encourages pathogenic bacterial growth.
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