Shrimp aquaculture has crossed the threshold to become an industrial business with a value chain starting from breeding and genetic selection to hatchery; farming and health management; feeds and feeding and processing to marketing and branding. However, this value chain suffers from challenges within each of its segments to the integration of all these segments.
Approximately 3.4 million tonnes of the marine shrimp was produced in 2011 and this continues to be one of the fastest growing sectors of aquaculture. Aquaculture accounts for two thirds of global shrimp production. Most shrimp aquaculture occurs in China, followed by Thailand, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Brazil, Ecuador and Bangladesh. The majority of farmed shrimp is imported to the United States, European Union and Japan. The growth has generated substantial income for countries – particularly in Asia– but at the same time has also raised concerns about how shrimp farming affects the environment and society.
“We cannot stress enough how shrimp aquaculture needs to make the quantum leap into the next phase of growth but to be successful, it has to be an industrial supply chain which is self-regulated. TARS 2012 will provide the platform and we need the stakeholders to work together,” says Dr Zuridah Merican, editor of Aqua Culture Asia Pacific Magazine.
As one of the industry’s foremost opinion-leading events, The Aquaculture Roundtable Series (TARS 2012) focusing on Shrimp Aquaculture - Shaping the Value Chain aims to take a holistic approach to tackle these challenges. This conference is a follow-up to the successful inaugural series (TARS 2011) held in Singapore where 180 representatives from Asia convened to deliberate on the status of the aquaculture sector and identified steps to reduce redundancy and improve production efficiency to take the industry forward.
TARS 2012 presents a neutral forum for multiple stakeholders from the public-private sector, academia and non-government organisations to share new knowledge and expertise, and provide substantial input to improve the sustainability and profitability of shrimp production in Asia. This will be critical as the industry faces economic uncertainties and vulnerabilities resulting from the changing market conditions, including food safety and quality standards, and the threat of diseases.
“Learning from the disease issues facing many farms in the region, no man is an island. We have witnessed how occurrences in one country can affect another. We need a concerted effort to find solutions,” Dr Merican reiterates.
Following the same format as the inaugural roundtable, TARS 2012 will host a plenary session facilitated by international experts from Asia, the USA and Europe. They will present an overview of the state of the shrimp aquaculture industry, current knowledge, trends and emerging challenges impacting the various segments of the shrimp value chain in Asia and the global arena.
The meeting will also incorporate a breakout session focusing on 5 areas (from breeding and genetic selection to health management, feeds and feeding, and market and branding) will provide the opportunity for discussions and deliberations to take the shrimp industry forward. Participants will get to brainstorm and identify key priority areas. The result will be self-initiative and aim to direct the development in a guided manner, yet allowing for the opportunity to ‘think outside the box’.
TARS 2012 will be held from August 15-16, 2012 in Phuket, Thailand and targets shrimp producers, nutritionists, feed formulators, integrators, feed equipment manufacturers, feed ingredients and feed additive suppliers.
For more information on TARS 2012, visit www.tarsaquaculture.com. Download brochure from the link below (PDF)