This project was conducted in collaboration with the University of Southern Mississippi-Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. The overall goal of this project is to evaluate the feasibility of each biosecure marine shrimp production system developed by the member institutions of the U.S. Marine Shrimp Farming Program.
The development of modular indoor shrimp production systems is desirable for bio-security against shrimp diseases. In addition, such systems can be located inland, away from coastal sites that may be infected with shrimp viruses. Mobility of site location can also provide a quality shrimp supply to regions with high consumer demand. If enclosed bio-secure shrimp production systems are economical to operate they will have a future in the U.S. Years of research have resulted in viable indoor, bio-secure shrimp production facilities, but production cost estimates and financial measures of success are needed to analyze a diverse set of alternative rearing schemes and assist investors in their decision-making process.
The Bio-economic Recirculating Shrimp Analysis Software (contact MSU Office of Technology Management OTC ID 0372) was originally developed to aid consortium researchers to determine the viability of their production systems under presently obtainable biological production scenarios as well as to assist them in predicting their system's economic performance under foreseeable future production levels and economic costs. The model's objectives have evolved to evaluate the economics of commercial-scale ventures as well. Specifically, the model aims to provide a simulation tool that quickly analyzes the profitability of alternative biological, financial, and construction options for indoor bio-secure recirculating shrimp production system; the model will assist consortium scientists to evaluate current and future research efforts toward developing viable production systems and to assist investors in their decision-making process toward adopting these shrimp production systems.
The logical expansion of the Bio-economic Recirculating Shrimp Analysis Software would be to look at vertical integration of the hatchery, nursery, production, and processing components. A processing component would provide information on the amount of shrimp required to make its operation efficient and profitable, leading back to the number of recirculating greenhouses (nursery and production components) and hatcheries systems required to supply the processors need. It is not required that only recirculating systems be used to supply the processing sector and modeling of a low salinity component and a pond component seem logical. These suggested future work items begin to reveal the critical mass of components required to make consortium production systems viable in the U.S. Economic modeling can provide one way of envisioning this future.
Patents and Copyrights
Hanson, Terry, and Benedict Posadas. Bio-economics of Recirculating Shrimp Farming. This software assesses the economic feasibility of culturing marine shrimp in indoor recirculating water systems. Using spreadsheet software, the program incorporates biological and financial profitability indicators to provide investors with accurate financial data. The technology predicts harvest and income on a monthly basis and incorporates ten annual cash flows that can assist commercial-scale operations in making knowledgeable investment decisions. MSU Office of Technology Management OTC ID 0372. Fisheries Software Copyright.
Monthly Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Landing Prices
U.S. Aquaculture Saltwater Shrimp Production
Publications:
Hanson, Terry R. Benedict C. Posadas, Tzachi Samocha, Alvin D. Stokes, Thomas M. Losordo, Craig L. Browdy. 2009. Economic Factors Critical to the Profitability of Super-Intensive Biofloc Recirculating Shrimp Production Systems for Marine Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. In pages 267-283 Browdy, Craig L., and Darryl E. Jory (eds.). Rising Tide, Proceedings of the Special Session on Sustainable Shrimp Farming, World Aquaculture 2009. The World Aquaculture Society, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Posadas, Benedict C., and Terrill R. Hanson. 2006. Economics of Integrating Nursery in Indoor Bio-secure Recirculating Saltwater Shrimp Growout Systems. In pages 279-289 PingSun Leung and Carole Engle (eds.). Shrimp Farming: Economics, Market, and Trade. Blackwell Publishing, Ames, Iowa.
Other aquaculture economics publications. http://coastal.msstate.edu/aquaculture-economics-publications