The Department of Fisheries in Rakhine State is making efforts to establish a shrimp hatchery after it achieved success in freshwater shrimp spawning on a trial basis.
The state is striving for the development in livestock and aquaculture sectors to generate more revenues from exports and fulfil the needs of the local consumption.
The freshwater shrimp hatcheries can be found in Yangon and Ayeyawady regions. The freshwater prawns produced in Kyauktaw and Ponnagyun areas which are adjacent to the Kaladan River in Rakhine State are of good quality. To maintain those species, the Fisheries Department is planning to open a freshwater shrimp hatchery in Rakhine State.
“Those shrimp species are marketable in international arena. Following the successful shrimp spawning between June and August, the hatchery will be set up in Kyauktaw. The feasibility survey for the shrimp hatchery will be conducted,” said U Thet Oo, director of the Rakhine State Fisheries Department. The saltwater shrimp hatcheries are located in Sittway, Pauktaw and Kyaukpyu. The production rate is decreasing year over year. This being so, the Union Budget helped boost Kyaukpyu shrimp production. The saltwater shrimp production project in Sittway was liable to a Thailand company under the MoU agreement. The project was halted amidst the COVID-19 impacts. The project period was extended again under an MoU agreement. For a saltwater shrimp hatchery in Pauktaw situated in wave stricken area, the higher the input cost, the lesser the production rate. As a result of this, the hatchery is planned to be relocated to Aungtaing village in Sittway township under the coming state budget.
Climate change resulted in a drop in aquaculture resources. Additionally, marine pollution and the contamination in the rivers and creeks caused by hazardous substances from agriculture harm the fisheries population. The shrimp hatcheries in saltwater areas are required for the value-added products. There are three saltwater shrimp hatcheries in Rakhine State, and a freshwater shrimp hatchery project is underway. — Nyein Thu (MNA)/GNLM
