The Institute got $3.1 million in earmarked federal money this fiscal year to support the US Marine Shrimp Farming Programme, a consortium of seven institutions led by the Makapuu research facility to develop a competitive domestic shrimp farming industry. It took two decades for the institute to develop a disease-free shrimp breeding programme.
Oceanic President Bruce Anderson told that the programme received $4.1 million in earmarked federal funds in fiscal 2006 but was one of the casualties of the move to eliminate earmarks last year. He also added that earmark funds allow the research to continue over many years like shrimp breeding, which takes years to develop new lines of shrimp, but the institute takes 20 years.
Anderson said lot of investment has been done in the research even time and energy and it got the dues as the research is known throughout the world as the premier shrimp breeding program today. It is fact that aquaculture programmes have taken on new importance as ocean stocks continue to decline due to overfishing and environmental degradation.
Shaun Moss, director of the institute’s shrimp department, said that the institute owns the most genetically diverse population of shrimp. He further says all shrimp are pedigrees so we know who is related to whom. Moss informed that the institute is well equipped to improve the animal genetically while minimizing inbreeding and it takes the best animals from the diverse population and make them available to the U.S. industry.
