MIDDLE EAST SHRIMP INDUSTRY Current Trends and Expension Plans

Haydar H. Alsahtout

Saudi Aquaculture Soceity

INTRODUCTION

Bahrain

Cyprus

Egypt

Iran

Iraq

Israel

Jordan

Kuwait

Lebanon

Oman

Palestine

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Syria

Turkey

UAE

Yemen

The Middle East Countries

MIDDLE EAST SHRIMP FARMING INDUSTRY

2.1% from world Aquaculture production.

Many ME Countries are at a late entry into the world of shrimp farming. As a

consequence, the region has an opportunity to learn valuable lessons from

the pioneer shrimp producing countries.

Shrimp farming in the ME region draw the attention of researchers and

investors in the early 1980s, specially in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran.

The effective cultivation of shrimp in the region started in the early 1990s.

MIDDLE EAST SHRIMP FARMING INDUSTRY

Initially, the industry ‎focused mainly on the culture of P. monodon; however,

because of the highly sensitivity of this species, aquaculturists switched to

P. indicus in the early 2000s .

An epidemic of WSSV in the early 2010s forced the regional industry to

restructure , and L. Vannamei was introduced.

The shrimp Aquaculture industry in the region since mid of this decade is

mainly dominated by the production of L. Vannamei.

ME Shrimp Aquaculture Production (2011 - 2019)

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

140000

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

MT

Sources: FAO, National Organizations

Middle East Shrimp Industry Categories

Middle East Shrimp Farming Industry Categories

The Shrimp Farming Industry within the Middle East countries can be divided into three categories: A. Countries with No or Low shrimp production / No or basic R&D activities.

B. Countries with Small Shrimp Production / R&D activities

C. Countries with Developed Shrimp Farming Industry.

Category A Countries with No or Low shrimp production / Basic or advance R&D activities.

Countries with No or Low shrimp production / Basic or advance R&D activities.

Countries with No or Low shrimp production / Basic or advance R&D activities. 1. In KUWAIT , the government unveiled plans to develop a fully integrated

shrimp farming project that aims to produce not less than 3,000 tons of

shrimp annually.

2. Though production is small, but very strong R&D works have been

developed in ISRAEL over the past 3 decades, and the Israelis technologies

has been used in many parts of the world.

3. QATAR government has unveiled a plan to build a shrimp farm using USA

technology. The first phase will produce 3,000 metric tons of shrimp per

year, while the Expansion goals include increasing shrimp production to

100,000 metric tons over the next five years.

Category B Countries with Small Shrimp Production / R&D activities.

ME Countries with Small Shrimp Production / R&D activities .

CYPRUS

7.4 6.9

18.6

23.4

18.8

25.4 28

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Indian White prawn (tons)

One land-based shrimp

hatchery / farm , (Indian white

shrimp - P. indicus ).

LEBANON

25 25 25 25

10 10 10 10

0

10

20

30

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Whiteleg prawn (tons)

There is only one shrimp farm

(L. Vannamei) in the country.

The farm imported the BS from

Florida in 2003. In 2004, it was

imported from Malaysia.

OMAN Strong government support.

Development is underway on five

shrimp farms, targeting MT 71,200

of shrimp per annum by end of

decade, by local and international

investors ( Thailand , Singapore ).

TURKEY Strong government support and

Strong R&D Efforts.

Turkey’s output of commercial

operations has been limited ( since

the early 1990s ).

Shrimp farms in the

Mediterranean, established in the

mid 1990s, encountered many

critical problems with kuruma

prawn (P. japonicus)

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

220

280

350 370

312

225

305

0

100

200

300

400

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Indian white prawn (tons)

Only shrimp farm in the country,

start operation in 2004 (Indian

white shrimp - P. indicus ).

Category C Countries with Developed Shrimp Farming Industry.

Countries with Developed Shrimp Farming Industry.

EGYPT

EGYPT

In 1985 a shrimp farm near Alexandria was the first commercial shrimp

hatchery and farm to be established in Egypt ( P. japonicus ,P. semisulcatus) .

The giant river prawn ( Macrobrachium rosenbergii ) was introduced in Egypt

from Thailand in 1989. it is still produced in limited amounts (100–120

tonnes a year).

In 2019, the government announced the development of a $90 m integrated

tilapia and shrimp farm in Egypt to be built by Chinese investors in

collaboration with the Egyptian military.

Egypt is just beginning to develop its potential, and the government is

encouraging shrimp farming.

EGYPT

200

792

766

1109

5856

7235 7235 7235 7235 7235

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Shrimp Production (Tons)

IRAN

IRAN Strong government support.

Commercial shrimp culture began in 1993, Main species (P. indicus) .

Iran’s shrimp aquaculture techniques are based on Thai and Filipino

production systems.

Iran practices semi-intensive shrimp aquaculture.

Export oriented industry.

Since 2005, pathogen-free broodstock of Pacific white shrimp (L. vannamei)

were imported to Iran and rapidly replaced Indian white shrimp (P. indicus) .

There are approximately 680 shrimp farms located in Iran, which are small

family owned businesses.

IRAN

10152

12000

22475

11795 21331

12698

21320

45000

40000

55000

60000

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Shrimp Production

SAUDI ARABIA

SAUDI ARABIA

Strong government support.

1st R&D facility was established in 1982.

1st Commercial operation in 1993.

Home of the Largest single operation in the world.

4 stars BAP operation. Rewarded national Bio security system.

100% L. vannamei operations .

Fully integrated, industrial scale facilities.

SPF Broodstock ( L. vannamei) provided from Thailand.

Shrimp production to reach MT 200.000 by 2025 .

SAUDI ARABIA

12980

17295 24055

44063

64025

50000

80000

100000

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Shrimp Production (Tons)

CONCLUSIONS

ME Shrimp Aquaculture Production (2015 - 2021)

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

MT

Sources: FAO, National Organizations

CONCLUSIONS Strong Governments support.

Fully integrated operations ( KSA ).

Well developed Feed and Processing industries.

Strong future developments ( MT 500.000 by end of the decade ).

Strong Biosecurity systems ( KSA ),

The industry is dominated by L. Vannamei .

Several new players are on the way ( Oman, Qatar ).

Export oriented industry ( Except for Egypt ) .

Diseases is the main issue to deal with .

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING Haydar H. Alsahtout