El Niño a double-edged sword for Negros prawn farmers

El Niño is a double-edged sword. Or at least that’s how prawn farmers in Negros Occidental feel about the latest dry spell. Although the phenomenon may delay the stocking of prawn fries and consequently, prawn harvest, the heat may also sanitizing the ponds. Roberto Gatuslao, president of PhilShrimp and chairman of the Negros Prawn Producers Marketing Cooperative, said the heat is also killing bacteria in the shrimp and prawn ponds. Gatuslao told the 7th Philippine Shrimp Congress in Bacolod City that prawn harvesting would be delayed to October and December this year, instead of August and September, according to a report on Visayan Daily Star. Growers are not stocking fries in their ponds now because of the current extreme heat and may do so in May, he said. He also noted that because of the limited supply of prawns this year, 30-grammers are now selling at P360 a kilo from P260 last year. He also maintained said the delay is not expected to cause a drop in prawn and shrimp production this year. Senator Edgardo Angara, the guest speaker at the Philippine Shrimp Congress opening, said black tiger prawns produced in the Philippines are exported to Japan while the white shrimp is the shrimp of choice of Americans and Europeans. Meanwhile, officials said the industry may be headed for a greener direction. “Consumers worldwide are becoming more and more health conscious — requiring food that is organically produced in a manner that is socially equitable and environmentally-friendly. For high value commodities such as shrimps — the challenge becomes even greater considering the overhead costs and expensive inputs, and the changing weather conditions associated by global warming," Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources director Malcolm Sarmiento Jr. said. He assured that government will continue to provide the necessary support to enable the Philippine shrimp industry to achieve a competitive edge. - LBG, RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV