Row over new prawn species: Industry casts doubts on state body's disease-free claims

Astate institution and a prawn industry body are locking horns in a row over the import of a new species of prawns. The National Aquaculture Development Authority (NAQDA), the state body responsible for the import of prawns for farming, said the fears raised by a section of the industry represented by the Sri Lanka Aquaculture Development Alliance (SLADA) were baseless.

NAQDA Director General Nimal Chandraratne told the Sunday Times the new prawn species -- Penaeus Vannamei -- were imported from Hawaii for a pilot project after tests carried out by the Veterinary Authority of Hawaii, United States, proved the prawns were disease free.

He said that in addition to the US tests, investigations carried out in Sri Lanka by the NAQDA and the Department of Animal Production and Health also indicated that the prawns were Specific Pathogen Free (SPF).

The director General said the claims made by some people with regard to the disease were false and probably aimed at protecting their business interests when the state wanted to expand the industry.

However SLADA has disputed the test reports.

SLADA President and prawn businessman Kamal Nanayakkara said the species brought to Sri Lanka were a hybrid species and they were largely found in India and Thailand. He said the industry believed that the prawn species Penaeus Mondon -- widely bred in Sri Lanka -- would be affected by possible diseases if the new species were introduced.

Mr. Nanayakkara said the SLADA would not accept the reports because the local labs were not up to the standards and did not possess proper quarantine facilities.

“Only a few prawns were subjected to lab tests. So, how can we assume that all prawns are free from diseases?” he asked.

Mr. Nanayakkara said NAQDA had promised that the new prawn species would not be bred in Puttalam, the prawn hub of the country, but they would be sent to Mannar, but the SLADA had found there were no NAQDA farms in Mannar.

“We are not against the expansion of the prawn industry, but we want the authorities to ensure that the measures they take will not destroy the industry,” he said.

We are not against the expansion of the prawn industry, but we want the authorities to ensure that the measures they take will not destroy the industry,”