An Australian company says its specially bred prawn has the potential to “revolutionize” the local and international shrimp aquaculture industry.
After eight generations of selective breeding, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) scientists and the country’s aquaculture industry have bred a black tiger prawn that’s producing record yields.
One of CSIRO’s partners, Gold Coast Marine Aquaculture, this year produced average yields of 17.5 metric tons per hectare, more than double the industry average. Several ponds produced 20 metric tons per hectare and one produced a record yield of 24.2 metric tons per hectare.
In the past two years, the shrimp has also won five gold medals at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, including the highest award possible, “Champion of the Show.”
With about 50 percent of all prawns sold in Australia currently imported, developing an Australian prawn that breeds in captivity and is completely sustainable is a major gain for both the local prawn industry and consumers seeking Australian seafood, said CSIRO.
If the rest of the Australian black tiger prawn industry adopted the new breeding technology, Australia’s annual shrimp production could increase from 5,000 metric tons to 12,500 metric tons, adding AUD 120 million (USD 105 million, EUR 85 million) annually to the industry’s value by 2020.
“The new prawn’s yield has exceeded all our expectations. The average industry productivity for farmed prawns is only five tons per hectare, so this year’s average yield of 17.5 tonnes per hectare is a major leap forward,” said Dr. Nigel Preston, leader of the CSIRO Food Futures Flagship prawn research project. “These huge yields can be replicated year after year, which means consistent supply of a reliable and high quality product — all vital factors for the long-term growth and prosperity of the Australian prawn farming industry.”
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