An aquaculturist from Tainan’s Taijiang District (台江) this month received a Council of Agriculture certificate of provenance for his farm-reared giant tiger prawns, a rarity in Taiwan’s declining prawn industry.
Yen Jung-hung (顏榮宏), an aquafarmer with a degree in mathematics from the National Cheng Kung University, marine biotechnology and resources from National Sun Yat-sen University and 10 years of industry experience, said that he believes he can revive Taiwan’s once-prosperous prawn industry by updating it with modern technology.
Giant tiger prawns are considered technically challenging to raise in a farm environment because of their sensitivity to chemicals and antibiotics, Yen said.
Photo: Tsai Wen-chu, Taipei Times
Taiwan’s formerly thriving prawn industry was nearly wiped out by nation wide viral outbreaks, Yen said, adding that aquafarmers usually grow prawns with giant groupers to mitigate business risks.
A 1 hectare grow-out pond is capable of supporting up to 50,000 giant tiger prawns, of which only 10 to 25 percent grow to a size fit for human consumption. A typical farm harvests the prawns when they weigh between 15g and 20g each, Yen said.
In contrast, Yen said his giant tiger prawns weigh an average of 100g, which is “possibly the maximum size for farm-reared tiger prawns.”
His products are highly sought-after and sell at about four times the market price at NT$1,300 per jing (600g). Customers have to place an order with payment prior to delivery, Yen said, adding that demand frequently outstrips his supply.
Yen said his success is the result of an advanced electrochemical-electrocoagulation filtration system and a special mix of microbes cultured at the aquafarm, which he set up after extensive research and consultation with scientific authorities in the field.
The combination of techniques has allowed his prawns to feed on natural food sources and stay healthy, he said.
Council of Agriculture officials were initially skeptical and investigated the possibility that the prawns were foreign imports, Yen said, adding that after an inspection of his facility they were convinced the prawns were a domestic product.
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