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| Image: Florida Fish and Wildlife |
Despite the apparent success story reflected in the past and projected expansion of shrimp aquaculture, production in many regions continues to suffer economic losses due to the impacts of a wide variety of diseases, the Global Aquaculture Advocate says.
White spot syndrome (WSS), one of the main causes of the stagnating shrimp industry in the 1990s, continues to affect production in Mexico, Central America and South America, where the more extensive farming methods in large ponds do not allow effective biosecurity measures against the virus that causes the disease. The shrimp production in Southeast Asia and Mexico has been ravaged since late 2012 by a new disease known as early mortality syndrome (EMS or acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease).
Shrimp, microflora
Shrimp actively 'graze' on the bottom substrates of ponds and are therefore highly exposed to exchanges of microflora between the environment and their digestive systems. This increases the risk for proliferation of unfavorable gut microflora, which can affect digestive functioning.
Furthermore, the digestive systems of shrimp are main entry points for the bacterial and viral infections that remain a major risk for profitable shrimp production. The use of antibiotics to control microbial development throughout the production process is not desirable due to the risk for building up resistance and its rejection by legislators and consumers.
The shrimp industry requires alternative ways to control the microbial ecosystems in production systems. Sustainable approaches to modulate the gut microflora in shrimp include the use of a variety of natural compounds capable of modulating the microflora toward a favorable composition, such as probiotics, organic acids, yeast extracts and phytobiotics.
These strategies may have synergistic effects. For example, phytobiotics can enhance the establishment of probiotic bacteria and therefore enhance the efficacy of probiotic inoculations in the production system.
Read the full article in the Global Aquaculture Advocate HERE.
White spot syndrome (WSS), one of the main causes of the stagnating shrimp industry in the 1990s, continues to affect production in Mexico, Central America and South America, where the more extensive farming methods in large ponds do not allow effective biosecurity measures against the virus that causes the disease. The shrimp production in Southeast Asia and Mexico has been ravaged since late 2012 by a new disease known as early mortality syndrome (EMS or acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease).
Shrimp, microflora
Shrimp actively 'graze' on the bottom substrates of ponds and are therefore highly exposed to exchanges of microflora between the environment and their digestive systems. This increases the risk for proliferation of unfavorable gut microflora, which can affect digestive functioning.
Furthermore, the digestive systems of shrimp are main entry points for the bacterial and viral infections that remain a major risk for profitable shrimp production. The use of antibiotics to control microbial development throughout the production process is not desirable due to the risk for building up resistance and its rejection by legislators and consumers.
The shrimp industry requires alternative ways to control the microbial ecosystems in production systems. Sustainable approaches to modulate the gut microflora in shrimp include the use of a variety of natural compounds capable of modulating the microflora toward a favorable composition, such as probiotics, organic acids, yeast extracts and phytobiotics.
These strategies may have synergistic effects. For example, phytobiotics can enhance the establishment of probiotic bacteria and therefore enhance the efficacy of probiotic inoculations in the production system.
Read the full article in the Global Aquaculture Advocate HERE.
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