Greenwater Technology for Controlling Vibriosis and Achieving Higher Shrimp Production - A Case Study

Abstract

Disease due to luminous Vibrio has been a major problem in the shrimp industry. Brackishwater shrimp Penaeus monodon is susceptible to fatal effects of luminous vibriosis adversely affecting the shrimp production and creating economic losses in India. Different technologies have been introduced to control the disease. One of the techniques reported to work against luminous bacteria is greenwater culture system (or finfish–shrimp integrated culture system). The greenwater culture system has been proven the most functional and innovative technique, wherein euryhaline finfish are propagated as bioremediators in an isolated net pens/cages inside the shrimp growing ponds or shrimp are cultured in fish produced greenwater. This paper reports a case study on the successful demonstration of greenwater technology based on the integration of milkfish, Chanos chanos and grey mullet, Mugil cephalus in pens for environmental and health management of brackishwater aquaculture with the result of higher production of shrimp, Penaeus monodon. The greenwater technology has been found to be effective as biomanipulators in controlling the luminous bacteria disease and can be a good alternative to expensive microbial products/probiotics in the aqua-farming ponds throughout the culture period.