DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTENSIVE SHRIMP CULTURE SYSTEM IN KUWAIT1

Abstract

AbstractDevelopment of an intensive culture system is presently being conducted in Kuwait as a means of farming penaeid shrimp in arid lands. Efficiency of commercial‐scale hatchery production of Penaeus semisulcatus and P. japonicus showed significant improvement in 1981 over previous years. Three one‐month hatchery rearing cycles in three 15 m3 concrete tanks yielded a total of 9.1 million post‐larval shrimp with an average density of 160 PL/liter being obtained for one of these trials. Four other trials were discontinued due to low spawning rates and disease. Installation of a heat exchange system made it possible to begin larviculture in February, two months earlier than in previous years. Research in nursery and grow‐out phases of intensive shrimp culture is being directed towards raceways, although Shigueno culture systems are also being investigated. Experimental work with six 18 m × 1.5 m raceways demonstrated that low water exchange rates (1 tank volume/day), combined with high aeration (9.5 liter/min) yielded the highest shrimp biomass. Unheated greenhouse structures constructed over the raceways showed that a single layer of 0.25 mm clear plastic sheeting could maintain water temperatures up to 2.7°C above those in unenclosed tanks. Rearing trials in two Shigueno tank systems demonstrated the importance of high water flow rates (3 tank volumes/day minimum) and adequate aeration. Due to sub‐optimal conditions, survival was reduced to 7.5%, however, growth rates up to 6 g/month were obtained for P. semisulcatus.