Aquaculture Vol. 164 (1-4) pp. 117-133
Nutrient budgets in intensive shrimp ponds: implications for
sustainability
a Simon J. Funge-Smith
a Matthew R.P. Briggs
a , Stirling Aquaculture (Asia), P.O. Box 32, Kao Seng, , Songkhla
90001, Thailand
Abstract: Serious production losses have occurred in
shrimp producing countries around the world, principally due to poor rearing
environments and pathogenic disease. In response to this, shrimp farmers are
changing their culture methods. To understand the source and sink of nutrients
which affect pondwater quality and effluent impact, the nitrogen, phosphorus and
solids budget have been constructed for water exchange systems. These budgets
reveal the contribution of the pond bottom soil to the accumulation of sediment
and phosphorus and its potential contribution of nitrogen to the pond system. A
survey of shrimp farm water quality and management practices in southern
Thailand has also been completed. This reveals a high proportion of farms using
low water exchange methods of shrimp culture but without the ability to maintain
suitable water quality in the production ponds. Shrimp production in these
systems is variable due to high incidences of disease and slow growth rates. The
pond processes that might cause this are suggested and potential methods for
their amelioration are discussed. Alternative culture systems such as lined
ponds, low salinity rearing and recirculation farms are described in relation to
their potential for remediating problems within the shrimp culture industry. ©
1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.