Laboratory of naupli and shrimp larvae. (Photo: Jose Eduardo Holguin Wilson)

Regularisation of shrimp labs underway

ECUADOR
Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 17:40 (GMT + 9)

The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Aquaculture and Fishing (MAGAP) published a new norm this past 30 December to regularise laboratories of shrimp naupli and larvae.

Norm Nº 245 replaces a previous accord (Nº 107) that proposed controlling the oversupply of shrimp eggs. The government countermanded it and replaced it with the new legislation, for it considered it to be detrimental to the aquaculture productive chain.

Until next 31 March, laboratories that do not count on MAGAP authorisation will have to regularise their activity.

In the previous agreement, a term of six months for regularisation was set forth; the extension and construction of laboratories and areas of maturation was prohibited for five years; and the establishment of an Effective Production Act in each laboratory was put forth, to regulate the production of naupli and larvae according to existing domestic demand.

However, for Rafael Verduga, manager of Texcumar, the present norm does not reduce the initial problem, that of oversupply.

“The previous agreement regulated the laboratories and the product supply as well. Now it only regulates the laboratories. The Internal Revenue Service, and Social Security keeps falling, but production is not regulated, and that benefits a certain group of shrimp firms that want to buy cheap larvae," the executive says.

In addition, he calculates that of the more than 200 laboratories, only 40 per cent are completely regularised, and the rest work illegally.

“During the time that [the previous agreement] was in force nothing was executed, no control was exerted, and laboratories were even created and expanded despite the norm,” he added.

Meanwhile, Alex Elghoul, manager of Aquatropical, maintained that a production of 400 million shrimp eggs a day exists, whereas demand oscillates between 280 and 300 million.

“A lot of naupli is thrown away, but another bunch is sown. The surplus remains in the market and causes prices to always remain low,” Elghoul affirmed. 

According to data furnished by the National Aquaculture Chamber (CNA), there were 216 laboratories registered in 2008 and 113 centres in 2001.

Also, the Subsecretariat of Aquaculture indicated that there were 230 registered laboratories in 2009, of which 90 per cent are in Santa Elena, El Comercio reports.

“First it is vital to regularise, to know what it has, where it is, how it produces, to then apply the market norms,” stressed the Subsecretariat of Aquaculture, Diego Gallardo.

By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com

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