SEAFDEC nursery pond system solves prawn fry survival problems

Abstract

Prawn culture has been encouraged in the Philippines as an alternative to fish (bangus), since the former provides a higher income, better nutrition, and increased employment. The Aquaculture Department has made sugpo fry (Penaeus monodon ) available to pond owners, but these hatchery-bred fry are found to be much less viable than those from natural habitats. This has prompted the launching of an improved pilot nursery pond system which enables fry to be harvested as early as P₄ and P₅ stages, using improvements in design and operation to solve the critically long gap between the hatchery and the grow-out pond. By this method, hatchery production has been raised by about 100 percent, and a commercial size nursery has now been established capable of accommodating 2.4 to 5 million fry per operation, or 15 to 40 million per year.