Can the Blue Revolution with Shrimp in Saudi Arabia Cross the Disease Chasm?

摘要

We are witnessing the rise and apparent fall of the blue revolution with shrimp in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Shrimp culture in Saudi Arabia started in 1983. Unlike Iran, where there is a directed development approach to benefit smallholders, in Saudi Arabia it has been purely a private sector initiative involving large companies. Presently Indian prawn (Fenneropenaeus indicus) farming is negotiating a crucial uncertainty in the Kingdom. Low stocking density and stricter biomass thresholds could not prevent viral diseases from wiping out shrimp crops. The storm cloud of cryptic infections in shrimp won the game. Three decades of global investigation into the immunity of penaeid shrimps provided no help to keep culture going. Can Indian prawn endure the viral battle?