“The technology has great potential, and AIT has invited farmers to
establish a prototype demonstration project, where farmers can use the
AIT ponds and the Institute can serve as a knowledge partner,” AIT
President Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai remarked. AIT will offer
institutional support under its theme of “R&D for mankind,” to help
promote this paradigm shift in aquaculture.
At the four-day Aquamimicry Sustainable Shrimp Farming Workshop held
in Hua Hin from 7-11 August 2016 organized by the Aquamimicry
Aquaculture Alliance (AAA), President Worsak offered to establish an
International Aquamimicry Demonstration and Training Center (IADTC) at
AIT, which could serve as prototype and act as a training ground.
Further, he also invited AAA to establish an “International Center for
Sustainable Aquaculture (ICSA)” jointly with AIT to conduct research
and promote sustainable aquaculture to the world.
Dr. K R Salin of AIT, who has spearheaded the organization of biofloc
workshops in Thailand, remarked that aquamimicry has gained traction in
recent months after the success of a few select farmers who were
successful in reversing the losses suffered in traditional shrimp
farming. Commercial shrimp farming has suffered on account of diseases
as well as a decline in production. Further, commercial shrimp
farming is a very intensive operation with high cost of stocking,
feeding and considerable initial investment, and it has led to
significant losses in natural mangroves in coastal areas.
“In Aquamimicry, farmers combine sustainable and intensive farming,
where they try and recreate natural biodiversity in artificial ponds,”
Dr. Salin said. Shrimp is cultured naturally and natural feed is
regularly mixed with commercial feed to reduce the cost of production
and to improve productivity.
The new technology, which was developed by a group of Thai Shrimp
Farmers coordinated by Mr. Veerasun Prayotamornkul, has produced
disease-free shrimps by mimicking the natural aquatic shrimp habitat.
This has been replicated by shrimp farmers in Thailand and Vietnam,
China, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Bangladesh, where this
technology has been adopted.
Aquamimicry relies on generation of live feed (living organism) within
the culture system, which mimics the natural situation in aquatic
ecosystems where shrimps are grown naturally and they are nurtured in
coastal mangrove areas. The system is non-polluting as the entire waste
is converted into organic live feed. The system is found to be free of
major diseases that traditionally plague the commercial shrimp farming
industry.
The workshop was organized by the Aquamimicry Aquaculture Alliance
(AAA) involving AIT along with partner organizations – Thai Organic
Shrimp Group, Kasetsart University and Institution of Aquaculture
Singapore. Nearly 120 participants from 20 nations participated in the
event.
“Already four AIT students are working in this project, and we are now
ascertaining the success rate of this technology in different climatic
zones,” Dr. Salin added. AIT’s next Biofloc and Aquamimicry Workshop
will be held from 14-18 November 2016 at AIT and Hua Hin.
