Spring anew

Spring is upon us and already the US shrimp farming industry has completed its 2006 stocking season.
As we look toward a new production cycle and the challenges ahead, we are optimistic on the signs that our industry is moving in the right
direction and entering a new era of shrimp farming in the US. Already we have seen changes in attitude toward intensifi cation, niche marketing, and ways to compete not on price but on quality and freshness.
Industry Briefs emphasized this approach last year and through 2006 we plan to provide you solid examples of how several existing and new companies adapted and meet the challenges. Our program also continues to adapt to the immediate needs of industry while evolving to facilitate change and preparing the road ahead.
Our 2006 Implementation Plan was submitted recently with inputs
from and participation planned with industry. We thank all those who expressed their issues and priorities, and especially to those of you who agreed to participate
in field trials to lend your support. Again, we invite all to contribute on the needs of the industry that form the basis of our research plans. Don’t forget to check on-line highlights of our 2005 work. We have provided you some tidbits
to pique your interest at the end of this issue. In this issue we focus on the emerging success story in Florida at OceanBoy Farms, Inc. I was privileged to meet with Steve Walton on a recent trip back
east, and was impressed with the company’s dedication and vision toward the US shrimp farming industry. Their approach of intensifi cation, added value, marketing, realistic expectations, and vertical integration is the key to the future
of this industry.
We take a look at Dr. Carlos Pantoja of our disease research team at UAZ. Carlos has pioneered many of the disease diagnostic and research tools at the forefront of our proactive approach toward protecting the domestic industry.
In response to south Texas farmers, Carlos will spearhead efforts to develop a disease challenge model for NHP. We have made major advances in understanding NHP in the last three years, without the aid of a cell line to replicate the bacterium in the lab. We are now poised to take the next step. As the US begins to intensify production scenarios, the Consortium has made a strategic decision to place greater emphasis on bacterial diseases.
Our final article is about the prototype super-intensive production raceways at GCRL. You may have heard rumors and read our summary reports about
shake-down trials to ready it for pilot-scale research and demonstrations of the Consortium’s super-intensive raceway production technology. It was hit by several
hurricanes, the last and most devastating being Katrina. Like the proverbial phoenix, this potential flagship facility is back online and stocked for a largescale
research trial. We thought you might want to take a look.
Read on and enjoy. Don’t hesitate to send us your comments or ideas.