To propose a schedule and general work plan for the initiation of culture trials and production management for Penaeus monodon.
Penaeus monodon is one of the most interesting shrimp species to cultivate because it reaches within 5 to 6 months a large size (30 to 40 g) which is highly praised on the world market, thus guaranteeing a good economical return.
The basic conditions for farming P. monodon are met in Kenya where the species is part of the natural fauna and a significant part of the marine fisheries catch. The species resists the temperatures and the high salinity met in the Ngomeni ponds, and the purpose of this work plan is to demonstrate the possibility of farming it to a commercial level under such conditions.
In order to limit the rising of the salinity, the ponds will be filled as usual by tidal exchange up at least to a level of 80 cm. In case of difficulty, a cheap portable pump can be used to top up the sea water to the required level. To avoid wave erosion, the dikes will have to be reinforced and the slope reduced to a more classical figure of 2 to 1. As the development of lablab will be reduced with such depth of water, it is recommended to ensure thorough preparation before stocking the pond.
The stocking density can be reduced to 5 000 per hectare for the first experiments, care must be taken not to introduce any foreign species. After a few experiments with stocking of only P. monodon, it will be possible to test a mixture of the two species but keeping P. monodon as the majority.
In a second stage, it is recommended to install a pumping station and a distribution canal. The pumping station can be calculated to provide a flow of 15 to 20% of the pond water per day. Thus, it is recommended to install 3 diesel axial pumps each providing 6 to 7% of the volume of the ponds each day or two pumps supplying 10% of that volume each.
To install the pumping station, two alternative sites exist (Annex 2):
The best one involves finishing the 4 southwestern ponds with machines and to build a platform in the adjacent creek.
The second one is to build a reinforced platform near the main gate, in the north portion of the farm and to construct a distribution canal on the dike to deliver water to ponds 7, 8 and 9. The dikes will have to be reinforced to support the weight of the distribution canal.
The farming procedures are basically the same as for P. indicus. The fry will be bought from private collectors at a higher price than for P. indicus as P. monodon forms less than 10% of the natural population. The lablab preparation, the fertilization, the sampling, the collection of data will be the same. Later it will be recommended to develop some local artificial feed with the assistance of an FAO Nutritionist expert.
If the farming of P. monodon is a success, which can be reasonably expected, a hatchery will have to be built in order to provide a regular supply of juveniles to the farmers.
The farming of P. monodon is one of the most interesting form of traditional and modern aquaculture today. It is probably the only way to develop a semi-industrial shrimp farming industry in Kenya. The potential investors are waiting for the government to do the demonstration of the feasibility of the technology. However, this required some additional engineering investment and a modern management.
