Fresh water prawn farming

1. WELCOME

3. INTRODUCTION
• Although India has vast freshwater resources they
are not fully exploited except for carps and cat fish
culture.
• Hence there is urgent need to expand our production
base.
• Need to utilize our natural resources productively to
ensure the much needed food security.
• Considering the high export potential, the giant fresh
water prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, the
scampi, enjoys immense potential for culture in
India.

4. Historical background
Although reared in captivity from time immemorial,
modern farming of this species originated in the early
1960s when FAO expert Shao-Wen Ling, working in
Malaysia, found that freshwater prawn
(Macrobrachium rosenbergii) larvae required brackish
conditions for survival.
By 1972 the Hawaiian team led by Takuji Fujimura had
developed mass rearing techniques for commercial-
scale hatchery production of prawn post larvae (PL).

5. The introduction of broodstock, initially from
Hawaii and Thailand, into non-indigenous areas
around the world began in the 1970s.
This development spawned the first
commercial farms in Hawaii. Both Thailand
and Taiwan Province of China became
pioneers in modern giant river prawn culture.

6. Present status
Global production had increased to over 200, 000
tones/yr, with Thailand and China being the major
producers.
In India Scampi production rose from a mere 6000t in
2000 to 40,000t in 2005 and by 2010 fell back to
10,800t as per FAO data.

7. Main producer countries
Source: FAO

8. Fish Production in the world and India
(million tonnes)

9. Fish Production in
India

10. Scientific name: Macrobrachium rosenbergii
De Man, 1879
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Arthropoda
Class : Crustacea
Order : Decapoda
Family : Palaemonidae
Genus : Macrobrachium
Species : rosenbergii

11. Species diversity
• On worldwide basis, 49 species of
Genus Macrobrachium are of interest to
the fisheries.
• At least 15 species are suitable for
aquaculture.
• Over 30 species of this genus have been
reported from Indian waters.
Out of which M. rosenbergii, M. malcomsonii
and M. gangeticum are favoured in
aquaculture.

12. Why culture Scampi?
• Compatibility for polyculture.
• Hardy and less disease
prevalence.
• Potential market- good demand
for their taste flavor, bigger
size.Their market demand@350-
400Rs/kg.
• Fast growth rate 50-60g within 6-
7 months.
• Diverse culture area- can
withstand and grow in brackish
water area also( up to 5 ppt).
• Attain sexual maturity when 140-
150mm long and 30-40g weight.
• Omnivore.

13. Seed availability in nature
The breeding takes place in low saline waters, estuaries, which is
also needed for larval and post larval development after
incubation.
For ensuring availability of quality seed in predictable quantity
freshwater prawn hatcheries should be encouraged, technology
for which is already developed. Freshwater prawn hatcheries
are coming up in many states.

15. Seed quality
• Healthy seed is light brown
in color.
• PL5-PL10 is ideal for
transportation and stocking
in scampi culture
• Temperature of 22-25 0Cis
better for transportation of
seed to get good survival

16. Nursery stocking
• Direct stocking of seed to pond is not preferred because
of abnormal size variation and high cannibalism
• Seed will be stocked in nursery pond for 30 to 45 days
• Indoor nurseries are stocked at 1 000-2 000 PL/m³,
depending on culture condition.
• Outdoor nurseries may be stocked with newly
metamorphosed PL or with juveniles from an indoor
nursery @ 1 000/m² PL,
200/m² small juveniles (0.02 g) or

17. Site selection
The aspects to be
considered are
• Topography of the area,
• The area should be free
from pollution and
flooding.
• Other considerations like
approach roads etc. have
also to be taken into
account.
• Proper water and soil
quality.

18. Soil quality parameters
Parameter Range
Soil type Sandy loam/Sandy clay
pH 6.5 - 7.0
Organic Carbon 1 - 1.5 per cent
Available phosphorous 3 - 6 mg/100 g soil
Available nitrogen 25 - 50 mg/ 100 g soil
Available potassium 1-2 per cent

19. Water quality parameters
Temperature 28 -31 0C
pH 7 .0 - 8.5
Dissolved Oxygen 3 - 7 ppm
Salinity 0-20 ppt
Total Hardness (CaCO3 ) 30 - 150 ppm
Colour Light green
Transparency 30 - 35 cm
Iron < 2.00 ppm

20. Pond Construction
• Rectangular ponds are suitable mainly from
the harvesting point of view.
• A convenient width is 30-50 m, whereas
length of the pond depends on site,
topography and farm layout.
• Normally a size of 0.5 to 1.5 ha is found
suitable.
• The average depth of the ponds should be
0.9m with a minimum of 0.75m and a
maximum of 1.2m.

21. • Bund must have a freeboard of at least
60 cm above the highest water level in
the pond.
• Designing and layout of the farms may be
done keeping in view the water intake
and water outlet facilities.
• The drainage system should be designed
carefully to prevent mixing of outlet
water with incoming water.

22. Stocking density
Varies from 4000 to 50000 nos. of post larvae per ha depending
on the type and intensity of the management practices.
The culture system may be monoculture or polyculture with
carps. In case of polyculture with carps the more pond depth is
preferred at 4-5 feet.
stocking density of prawn may vary from 2500-20000 post
larvae. The carp fingerlings may be of the order of 2500 - 5000
Nos.

23. Feeding
• The rate of feeding is determined by
stage of growth
water quality
density of stock and
other manuring practices.
• Generally the feeding rate may be 5% of the body
weight.
• The prawns are fed commercial or "farm-made" feeds
• Either fed moist or (usually) after sun-drying.
• Feeds with
5% lipid and
30-35 % protein

24. Culture period
• 6 to 12 months depending on the type of culture
practice.
monoculture 6-8 months
Polyculture 8-12 months
• Males grow faster and females mature very early
even at 3 to 4 months.
• The average growth may range from 50 to 200
gms depending on the duration, density, water
quality, feeding etc.
• The survival rate may range 50% to 70%
depending on the type of management practices.

25. Diseases and control measures
• The major disease problems occur because of poor
intake water treatment
husbandry
overcrowding
poor sanitation
• The measures to combat these problems are referred
to as improved husbandry.
• Immuno-stimulants and other agents which improve
the non specific immunity can be used as disease
prophylaxis method.

26. Harvesting
• Basically there are two methods of harvesting:
culling (cull harvesting)
draining (drain-harvesting).
• Time to harvest depends partly on growth rate and
marketable size range.
• Cull-harvesting is used to harvest market-sized animals from
the pond at intervals and removes the faster growing prawns.
• In tropical ponds cull-harvesting usually starts 5-7 months
after PL have been stocked.
• After cull-harvesting commences, totally seine each pond
once per month or partially seine it twice per month .
• After about 8-11 months, drain the pond and sell the whole
harvest.

27. Drawbacks
• Labour cost
• Problems associated with repeated
harvesting(cull harvesting), disturbing the
pond bottom.
• Possible infections while performing claw
ablation.
• Intensive farming of Scampi is never possible
due to Cannibalism.