Can Probiotics Make Shrimp Farming More Environmentally Friendly?

An article in the journal Aquaculture has\r\nlinked probiotic use in juvenile Vannamei shrimp production to\r\nreduced emissions of environmental pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorous\r\neffluents and carbon dioxide. The article also suggests that probiotic use is\r\nlinked to reduced water and energy consumption during larval production.

The researchers concluded that probiotics could improve the\r\neconomic and environmental viability of larval production. Even though\r\nprobiotics can come with high up-front costs, using them can offset other\r\nexpenses for antibiotics or water purifiers. Probiotic use can also reduce\r\nchemical contamination of both the larvae and the surrounding environment.

Background

Although shrimp aquaculture has reduced the environmental\r\npressure on fisheries and has enhanced economic and food security for the\r\ndeveloping world, it is energy intensive and often comes with a high\r\nenvironmental price tag. Shrimp production can disrupt the ecological balance\r\nof the surrounding environment, and waste materials from production can cause\r\nalgal blooms and create hypoxic conditions in the water. Intensive production\r\nof shrimp is also associated with increased greenhouse gas emissions.

In order to counteract this environmental burden, some\r\nshrimp farmers have turned to probiotics. Using probiotics can improve the\r\ndigestion and immune responses of shrimp, while inhibiting the growth of\r\npathogens and improving water quality. Their use has also allowed shrimp\r\nproducers to maintain their economic yields while reducing the environmental\r\nimpacts of shrimp aquaculture.

Based on the success of probiotics in other areas of shrimp\r\naquaculture, the researchers wanted to test if probiotic supplementation had a\r\npositive impact on larval production.

The study

The researchers analysed the technical and production data\r\nfrom the hatchery stage of 15 whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) farms in\r\nMexico. They examined the water temperatures, amount of probiotic (if any) used\r\nduring production, larval weights, feed, production density and number of\r\nbatches farmed per year. After gathering this data, the researchers did a\r\ncomparative analysis and created a model that illustrated the relationship\r\nbetween probiotic use and larval production.

Based on the available data, the researchers found that when\r\nprobiotics were administered, farming operations did not need to exchange\r\nproduction water as often. Instead, the probiotics contributed to an\r\noxygen-rich environment for the larvae. Since water exchanges occurred less\r\noften when probiotics were used, the researchers concluded that probiotic use\r\ncould lower overall energy costs for shrimp farmers.

The researchers also noted a significant reduction in\r\nnitrogen and phosphorous in shrimp effluents, and a drastic reduction in CO2 emissions\r\nin farms that used probiotics during the larval stage. For CO2 in\r\nparticular, the researchers observed a 55 percent drop in emissions when\r\nprobiotics were deployed. Shrimp farms that used probiotics also had lower\r\nconcentrations of dissolved nutrients in waste products and lower\r\nconcentrations of pollutants overall when compared to farms that did not add\r\nthese beneficial bacteria.

Key take-aways

The authors of the study emphasise that this research is a\r\npreliminary evaluation – they would need to do a life cycle analysis (LCA) to\r\nsee the global impact of probiotic use and draw concrete conclusions. Due to\r\nthe exploratory nature of the study, the authors didn't specify the type or\r\ndosage of probiotic used on the farms. The authors also note that production\r\ndata from more farms in different regions would improve the predictive power of\r\ntheir models.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

However, based on the results and analysis from this case\r\nstudy, the authors conclude that probiotic supplementation can become a core\r\nelement of sustainable production of shrimp larvae and make a significant\r\ncontribution to sustainable development initiatives.

Sumber : The Fish Site