It could take as little as two years to fully revive the Philippine prawn sector says Dan Baliao, chief of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center/ Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/ AQD).At its peak in 1994, the country produced 91MT. By 1997 it had plummeted to 50MT and present annual production is still below 50 MT."The slow recovery of the industry is caused by outbreak of diseases, continued environmental problems, lack of SPF/SPR broodstock, poor quality post-larvae resulting in low survival rates, and insufficient funds to operate more farms for shrimp culture.But we are working on all these," Baliao told Hatchery International.Despite the disease risks, though, he said that tiger prawns are still considered one of the most cultured species in the Philippines because of their economic potential for export at $8 to $12 a kilo. Exports are mainly shipped to Japan and the United States.
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