THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF ALABAMA’S INLAND SHRIMP INDUSTRY

Gregory N. Whitis,* Luke Roy, David Teichert-Coddington
Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Alabama Fish Farming Center
529 S. Centerville Street
Greensboro, Alabama 36744
 

Starting in 1999, two Alabama catfish producers stocked Pacific white shrimp in ponds filled with naturally-occurring low salinity aquifer water (4-6 ppt). Despite the low survival rate, the shrimp grew to a marketable size (16-25 count). In 2001, Greene Prairie Aquafarm, Alabama's largest shrimp farm, pioneered large scale inland commercial production. Using the water amendments, muriate of potash and sulfate of potash magnesia, the area farms greatly increased survival rates. For the past eighteen years the industry has not expanded greatly in acreage or in the number of producers. Currently Alabama acreage is less than 200 acres divided among five farms with a combined total annual production of less than 500,000 pounds. Recently, innovative advances have surfaced including the use of split ponds, the winter culture of rainbow trout, automatic feeders, in-situ bioassay limnocorrals,  and the polyculture potential of striped mullet. Auburn University continues to provide critical water quality testing, nutrition research, and extension support. In the spring of 2017, a study was conducted  using different sources of postlarvae and new biostimulants in an effort to increase overall survival rates which have for unknown definitive reasons, decreased and now threaten the economic sustainability of the industry.  A farm in central Alabama, isolated from the rest of the industry in west Alabama, resumed production in 2017 and produced an average yield of 4908 pounds per acre, with a  61.6% survival, and a gross FCR of 1.19. The farm participated in a two year result demonstration with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.