Freshwater prawn, a sustainable alternative to tiger shrimp?

GROWING up to a foot long, three to a kilo, and with a taste very much likened to lobster and tiger shrimp, one would wonder why not more people in the world are farming freshwater prawns.

The Malaysian giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) is the largest of its kind and is naturally found in rivers and lakes. Freshwater prawns immediately contrast from shrimps with their long claws that are up to twice their body length.

50%...?!

The global demand for shrimp consumption is on the rise due to its growing popularity.

According to World Wildlife, the global community imports almost 50% of shrimp from China and Thailand. That’s a good percentage! Some countries like the US and India are in the race, but neither is producing half of the supply-demand.

The Global shrimp Production Market, estimated at $18.3 B in 2020, is expected to expand tremendously to $24.1 B markets by 2026 for being a low-cost & rich source of seafood protein & omega-3.

This respective species has turned into a potential candidate in aquaculture due to its adaptability to tolerate a wide range of temperatures (14-35°C) and 0-25 ppt salinity.

The production of farmed M. rosenbergii has increased 13,900% since 2008 from its production of 3,000 tonnes 30 years ago.

Although the global culture of giant freshwater prawns faced tremendous growth, early production faced major bottlenecks with inconsistent production and poor survival rate of the larvae.

Traditional Farming Practices Are Inefficient And Not Competitive

In a typical giant prawn mixed population culture, the ratio of males to females is 30:70, with the females ranging around 58 grams compared to the males, weighing approximately 171 grams.

These vast differences in weight cause significant disparities in the pricing of the prawns and deter farmers from growing freshwater prawns.

Even though it is common knowledge of the lucrative industry of freshwater prawn farming, the hardship of the practice and high costs would deter many people from venturing into this sector. The whole process is with no guarantee on the yield of ponds because of the stark differences between male and female prawn sizes. 

Dr. Frolan Aya, a scientist at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), says the prawn “is a promising alternative to tiger shrimp due to its high market value, high export potential, and low susceptibility to diseases.”

Internationally, a kilogram of giant freshwater prawn sells for an attractive 25 to 40$ in the market. Although not nearly as valuable as tiger shrimp, freshwater prawns currently do not face the same risks of diseases as their distant crustacean cousin due to lower density culture practices.

Unlike tiger shrimp which require regular screening for diseases and facilities to keep out viruses and bacteria, freshwater prawns in extensive culture are mostly content with proper nutrition and good water quality. However, prawns are carriers of shrimp viral diseases as well, and thus farmers should still be careful not to pass on viruses to nearby shrimp farms.

Farmers can use simple ponds, cages, or even rice fields. “Cage culture is suited for marginalized fish farmers who have no land to develop into ponds and requires minimal start-up investment,” shared Dr. Maria Lourdes Aralar, a SEAFDEC retired scientist who largely developed the technology for lake-based cage culture.

The simplicity of freshwater prawn farming means it is widely farmed across Southeast Asia such as in China, Vietnam, and Thailand..

Need for more hatcheries

The bottleneck in its production is not in the number of prawn-growing ponds and cages but in the production of post-larvae ( These are the tiny young prawns that are hatched and nursed in hatcheries for 28 to 35 days before taking them out to tanks, ponds, or lake cages.)

Worldwide production is very limited to a lack of a sufficient quantity of post-larvae for grow-out, but it has the potential to form an aquaculture industry.

Emerging Pioneers

GK AQUA is a pioneer in commercialized Freshwater prawn breeding technology in Malaysia. Through the utilization of cutting-edge biotechnology methods, engineering a highly selected Neo female, they were able to produce all-male post larvae (PL).

Neo-female broodstock is male prawns that have been engineered to breed naturally with other males. In the absence of any female chromosome, neo-female broodstock produces all-male offspring.

This has resulted in the breeding of disease-resistant prawns that are 3 times larger in size, weighing 200 grams per prawn.

Giva Kupusamy, The CEO of GK Aqua said " This patented biotechnology harnesses the natural sexual plasticity of crustaceans using a technology called Gene Silencing, in combination with an array of proprietary natural selection tools. This technology does not involve the use of hormones, chemicals, or, any genetic modification. Our innovative technology has been a fruit of intensive R&D that has resulted in fast-growing post larvae that can give high yield in a short production cycle. To constantly improve the performance of our high-density broodstock line, our team in Malaysia is steering one of the most advanced quantitative selection programs. "

Mr Giva added that GK AQUA has also developed techniques to drastically reduce mortalities that are not widely known or practiced in the industry. All-male harvests are three times larger in size and capture a 100% higher market price than females; they grow faster (4 vs. 9 months) and can be harvested in a single day per pond.

 "GK AQUA, incorporating multiple layers of proprietary high-tech innovation, independent production capabilities of proprietary Feed & Seed, and innovative post-harvesting handling technologies and marketing capabilities, is on a mission to transform Giant Freshwater Malaysian Prawns ( M. rosenbergii) from a locally desired delicacy in Asia into a sustainably farmed global seafood-of-choice," Mr Giva explained.

Gk Aqua is a locally grown startup leading in the biotechnology field for improving prawn farming efficiency. They tap into nature’s abilities and combine them with cutting-edge biotechnology to create all-male prawn farming (neo-females). That means we ensure higher yields, superior quality, and easier management of freshwater prawns with sustainable farming methods.