CHENNAI: A path-breaking research is underway at Chennai-based Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA), where scientists are attempting to genetically improve Indian white shrimp aka Indian prawn - P. indicus - which was selected as a national priority species under the Make in India flagship programme.
The research is being carried out as part of centrally-sponsored Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), wherein Rs 25 crore was sanctioned in phase-1 and another Rs 33 crore is in the pipeline in phase-2. India is one of the largest producers and exporters of farmed shrimp in the world. Shrimp exports constitute nearly 70% of India’s seafood exports worth Rs 42,000 crore. However, the farming sector depends on a single exotic genetically improved shrimp - Pacific white shrimp aka ‘vannamei’.
Globally, P vannamei became successful due to genetic modification with the incorporation of breeding techniques to improve the desirable traits such as disease resistance, faster growth rates, and improved feed conversion efficiency. Genetic advancements can enhance the overall productivity and resilience of shrimp populations.
“It is to break the dependence on this single species and to promote our indigenous species vis-a-vis exotic species for the benefit of shrimp industry and shrimp farmers that CIBA has taken Indian white shrimp, P indicus, as a national priority species under the Make in India,” said Kuldeep Kumar Lal, director, CIBA.
Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Purshotam Rupala launched the nationally important programme recently.
Earlier, CIBA had decoded the complete genome of P indicus, a first-of-its kind in the world and a fundamental step in the genetic selection of the desi shrimp. “It has been demonstrated that P indicus is a potential species with a production capacity of 3-7 tonnes per hectare per crop at moderate stocking density, even prior to domestication,” the director said.
“This genetic improvement programme can lead to a genetic gain of 4-7% per generation, thus ensuring a doubling in productivity and improved feed conversion efficiency and increased profitability to the farmer. This programme makes India a pioneer to have the parent stock of selectively bred Indian white shrimp, and will open up new opportunities to supply selectively bred parent stocks to the outside world,” said A Panigrahi, scientist and principal investigator of the project.
Now, India’s shrimp farming sector depends on a single genetically improved shrimp - Pacific white shrimp aka ‘vannamei’