Shrimp resistant to white spot syndrome virus

Dean Lo Chu-Fang of the College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in Taiwan and her team have been working on a collaborative study with OSO Organic Shrimp Farm, a black tiger shrimp enterprise established in Madagascar by the largest aquatic product distributor in France.

According to Lo, two WSSV resistant shrimp families have already been successfully produced and these breakthroughs have already generated a lot of interest and excitement in the shrimp farming community.

Lo and her team began cultivating the first generation of WSSV-resistant black tiger shrimp in NCKU last November, starting from shrimp post larvae almost invisible to the naked eye.

It takes on average a year and a half for a black tiger shrimp to grow to the point where their reproductive organs are mature and they can be used for breeding.

The shrimp were grown in a strictly-controlled room for nine months and are now roughly 20cm long. Lo indicated that all of the shrimp are very healthy, and that not even one shrimp has become sick.

A special feed is currently being used to accelerate the shrimps’ growth, so that they can be used for breeding as soon as possible, she said.

Lo pointed out that virus-resistant shrimp is just the beginning, and that she will continue to research and develop black tiger shrimp families that are also stress resistant and fast growing.

This will reduce farming costs and increase shrimp farmers’ revenue, and hopefully help to drive a renewed and sustainable shrimp farming industry in Taiwan and other Asian countries, according to Lo.