Modified extensive pond culture of Litopenaeus vannamei for sustainable shrimp culture in the Philippines

The shrimp culture industry provides huge revenues to most aquaculture producing countries,but it is also beset with problems that hamper its sustainability. In the present study, we described amodified extensive pond culture method for white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei in the Philippines duringthe wet and dry months. One hectare earthen ponds were prepared and added with organic and/orinorganic fertilizers to stimulate natural food production. The ponds were stocked with L. vannameipostlarvae (PL) at a density of 4 PL m-2. A zero-water exchange system of pond management was doneduring the first two months of culture followed by a bi-weekly water exchange until harvest. No artificialfeeding was given during the culture period, instead, the ponds were applied with inorganic fertilizerevery month to ensure continuous supply of natural food. During the culture period, the shrimpsappeared healthy and no disease outbreaks were observed. All the physico-chemical parameters of thewater in the pond were within the optimum range required for shrimp farming and the phytoplanktonpopulation was predominantly green microalgae (Chlorophyta). The shrimps were harvested after 3 to3.5 months of culture or when they reached an average body weight of 13-15 g, with moderate to highsurvival rates depending on the prevailing climatic conditions.