Marine Shrimp Culture Research Institute : Department of Fisheries
Marine Shrimp Research Institute
Background
The Marine Shrimp Research Institute (MSRI) was established by the
Department of Fisheries (DOF) under the Ministry of Agriculture and
Cooperatives (MOAC) in 1997 when the government recognized marine
shrimp culture as a significant export industry with an export value of 60
billion baht that year. Thailand has a lot of potential in marine shrimp
production being the largest supplier of cultured shrimp worldwide since
1991. To keep Thailand’s status as the largest exporter of cultured
shrimp, DOF created an agency that would be responsible for addressing
technical issues, setting up direction, resolving industry problems, and
conducting continued research and development on shrimp culture
technology as well as modern disease diagnosis and prevention. The
results of studies carried out have been used in solving industry problems
and in developing long-term plans for maintaining product quality while
conserving Thailand’s environment and natural resources. These results
have been applied by passing on the knowledge and technology to
farmers.
Responsibility
Marine Shrimp Research Institute consists of one division, one group and
two centers as follows:
1. The Administration Division is responsible for administrative
work, operation, manpower and budgetary planning, work
monitoring and evaluation, accounts and financial management, as
well as purchase and registration of inventories and durable
articles;
2. The Technical Group is responsible for implementing the
technical programs, keeping abreast with the latest technology in
marine shrimp culture, evaluating technical progress and
difficulties, negotiating with trading countries on world trading
challenges, collecting information on quality certification for
marine shrimp raw materials, and ensuring the sustainability of the
marine shrimp culture.
3. Gulf Center for Marine Shrimp Research and Development :
contains 1 sub-division and four groups as follows:
Marine Shrimp Culture Research Institute : Department of Fisheries
1. Administration Sub-Division: is responsible for
administrative and financial coordination and facilitating the
work implemented.
2. Aquaculture technique research group: focuses on shrimp
culture technique research. Techniques, which are suitable
for current conditions, are applied in farm management to
achieve higher production and to conserve balance with the
environment. This group also provides shrimp culture
consultation and advice.
3. Aquaculture and environmental engineering research
group: is responsible for water quality management,
improvement and treatment, development of seawater
irrigation systems, shrimp culture engineering research (such
as pond configuration, aeration system, control of pond
environmental condition), water quality analytical service
and consultation.
4. Disease and parasite research group: is responsible for
research related to disease causes, rapid shrimp disease
inspection methods, study of disease infection, potency
prevention and treatment, shrimp health examination service,
disease diagnosis and consultation.
5. Feed research group: is responsible for mixed-feed
research for low-pollution feeds with high nutritional value
and minimum waste produced, lowest feed conversion ratio
of ready-to-use feed.
4. Andaman Center for Marine Shrimp Research and
Development: comprises 1 division and 5groups as follows:
1. Administration Sub-Division: is responsible for
administrative and corresponding work, coordinating,
planning, budgetary, manpower, finance accounting, and
inventory.
2. Genetic Development Research Group: is responsible for
marine shrimp broodstock improvement researches such as
creating broodstock species with disease resistance, high egg
quantity, rapid growth, low feed conversion ratio, high
survival rate, color and taste according to the market
requirement.
3. Breeding and Nursing Research Group: is responsible for
marine shrimp breeding and nursing research such as high
Marine Shrimp Culture Research Institute : Department of Fisheries
efficiency of breeding method, live feed and ready-to-use
feed for shrimp fry nursing, vitamin and supplemental feed,
and pond configuration and nursery management.
4. Nutrition Research Group: is responsible for mixed-feed
(ready-to-use feed) researches for the intensive shrimp
culture, which is less-pollution feed, providing high nutrition
and less waste remaining; also responsible for research on
low feed conversion ratio of ready to use feed, which is
similar to fish feed used in Europe.
5. Aquaculture Engineering and Environment Research
Group: is responsible for researches related to the
environment and the presence of toxic substances in shrimp
hatcheries and farms, mitigation measures for environmental
impact generated from the shrimp culture, shrimp culture
engineering, wastewater treatment engineering both
chemical and biological with concerns of efficiency and
return on investment to the farmers.
6. Disease and parasite research group: is responsible for
disease and parasite researches for the marine shrimp culture
such as shrimp diseases prevention, e.g., virus disease and
others, shrimp disease examination and diagnosis and
effective treatment of diseases.
Activities
1. Treatment of wastewater from intensive shrimp culture research:
This project was conducted in 1999 as an extension of Phase 1,
which trained fishery biologist in October 1998, for farmers
regarding treatment of wastewater from marine shrimp culture
ponds.
2. Replacement of Natural Black Tiger Shrimp Broodstock by
Breeding Project. One research on Size-specific mass selection
culture was conducted at Andaman Center for Marine Shrimp
Research and Development and another research on Relationship
of Depth and Broodstock Egg Production was conducted at Phuket
Province and Li Pe island by Coastal Aquaculture Development
Center, Satul Province.
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3. Coastal marine shrimp culture zoning: This project was carried out
by MSRI and Fishery Resource Information Division in 5 coastal
Provinces in 2001.
4. Black Tiger Shrimp culture technology demonstration project: The
target areas were Phuket, Songkhla, Chachoengsao, Chantaburi,
Surattani and Satul Provinces.
5. Environmental management system for sustainable marine shrimp
culture project: It is a new three-year project. In the first year,
model farms will be created in Songkhla, Pang-nga, Chantaburi,
Surattani, Rayong and Chachoengsao.
6. Environmentally friendly shrimp culture project (Mangrove-
friendly shrimp culture technology): is a new project funded by
SEAFDEC/ASEAN to conduct the environmentally friendly
shrimp culture. This project is conducted at Gulf Center for Marine
Shrimp Research and Development, Andaman Center for Marine
Shrimp Research and Development, Chachoengsao Center for
Coastal Aquaculture Development, and Kung Krabaen Bay Royal
Development Study Center.
7. Project under Industrial Structure Improvement Plan, Phase 2:
This project was funded by the Ministry of Industry for the period
2001 to 2004. The project comprises the following activities:
1. Black Tiger Shrimp broodstock selection to produce quality
shrimp fry and certification of shrimp fry quality contains 3
following sub-activities:
1. Black Tiger Shrimp broodstock selection is implemented in
Phuket, Songkhla, Pattani, Naratiwas and Satul Province
2. Certification of quality Black Tiger Shrimp species is
implemented in coastal provinces.
3. Training and knowledge transfer is conducted in coastal
provinces.
2. Marine shrimp farmers training project contains the following
sub-activities:
1. Marine shrimp farmer training.
2. Training for natural black tiger shrimp broodstock catching
operator is carried out in coastal provinces.
8. Inspection of antibiotic residues in shrimp product project: DOF
received an economic acceleration budget from government in
2002, this project comprises the following 5 activities:
Activity1: Brood stock and shrimp fry inspection
Marine Shrimp Culture Research Institute : Department of Fisheries
To ensure the shrimps have good health and are disease free.
Activity 2: Shrimp feed quality inspection
To inspect antibiotic residues in shrimp
Activity 3: Shrimp product inspection service
Servicing inspection of antibiotic residues in raw shrimp
material and exporting products in every lot before exporting
overseas.
Activity 4: Farm certification and technology transfer
Promote the Code of Conduct and Good Aquaculture
Practice projects to farmers and transfer the environmentally
friendly shrimp culture technology to produce quality and non-
toxic shrimp.
Activity 5: Inspection and Monitoring
To evaluate the above 4 activities, currently this activity is
ongoing and the target are marine shrimp farmers in coastal areas
throughout Thailand.
Research
There are 17 marine shrimp research projects:
1. Study of growth rate and yield of black tiger shrimp cultured in
intensive culture system under different conditions.
2. Study on phytoplankton species and ratio in Black Tiger Shrimp
pond and pond management
3. Study on Yellow Head Virus by use of Black Tiger Shrimp cell
4. Study of bacteria quantity in closed marine shrimp culture system
5. Effect of Probiotics on black tiger shrimp immunology
6. Antibody inoculation for yellow head virus in Black Tiger Shrimp
7. Induction of SEMBV disease resistance in Black Tiger Shrimp
8. Effect of environmental factors and shrimp biomass on oxygen
balance in marine shrimp culture pond
9. Efficiency of different shrimp pond sediment treatment methods in
testing tray
10. Impacts of wastewater from shrimp farm to nitrogen balance in
Kung Krabaen Bay
11. Inspection and Monitoring of Oxytetracycline and Oxolinic acid
residues in Black Tiger Shrimp in Phuket Province
12. Application of Povidone iodine and formalin to annihilate SEMBV
in Black Tiger Shrimp hatching
Marine Shrimp Culture Research Institute : Department of Fisheries
13. Comparison of Banana Shrimp Growth cultured by vitamin mixed-
feed and no vitamin mixed feed.
14. Effects of Vitamin complex levels on Banana Shrimp growth.
15. Appropriate carbohydrate levels in Banana Shrimp feed.
16. Study of vibrio bacteria quantity in Black Tiger Shrimp fry and in
nursing pond water prepared by use of chlorine and iodine
17. Water quality variation at shrimp farm effluent receiving area in
Phuket Province for year 2000
