The Reality and Challenges in Farming the Malaysian Giant Prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii: investigations in Leveraging the Malaysian Industry of the Malaysian Giant Prawn in Nurturing an Indigenous Niche

摘要

Aquaculture of the Malaysian giant prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, is expanding worldwide. This study was conducted in order to explore pond management-related reasons for recent fluctuations in Malaysian giant prawn production in Malaysia. The study used in-depth interviews with entrepreneurial pond system producers of the species in the state of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, augmented by unpublished data from the site of the Malaysian Department of Fisheries. The study showed that the major causes of production instabilities are lack of good quality seed stock and high juvenile mortality; both of which are in turn likely to be caused by detrimental inbreeding. Better seeds could be obtained by keeping the whole production cycle in captivity and paying better attention to the genetic diversity of broodstock. Furthermore, juvenile grading throughout the production cycle could substantially shorten the production cycle and result in more homogeneous production. Adherence to the recommended stocking density is also important. Utilizing renewable energy could help both to alleviate the problem of water scarcity and to increase stocking rates affected by lack of aeration. A further factor is high feed prices, caused primarily by monopolism rather thansupply and demand. This could be eliminated if the Malaysian government could guarantee fairer competition and transparency in this area. Finally, it is vital to attract more large-scale investors if production of the species is to reach its full potential.