De Venecia was with two Chinese fisheries experts, Joseph Huang and C.J. Huang of the Chen Chin Aquaculture Co., who have been conducting successful experiments in Pangasinan, Mindanao and the Visayas for the past 18 months on how to raise white shrimp in commercial quantities.
The pioneering aquaventure could boost fishpond entrepreneurs’ annual income of P30,000 to P50,000 from bangus production to P300,000 up to P500,000 yearly with white shrimp introduced into the bangus ponds, de Venecia said.
President Arroyo endorsed the aquaventure during her recent visit to Dagupan City.
"This will be a major boost to Philippine fishpond entrepreneurs," De Venecia said, "and could help rebuild the Filipino middle-class because if one’s income is R30,000 to R40,000 a year, one still lives in poverty."
De Venecia hinted on the opening of the Asian Fisheries Academy (AFA) in Dagupan City which will help, among other fishery cultures, the promotion of the "white shrimp revolution" in the country.
White shrimp can live in seawater, freshwater and brackish water and "loves to co-habit with bangus." De Venecia said, "we can already use the existing 250,000 hectares of fishponds all over the country."
The AFA, according to De Venecia, is 95 percent finished and could start operation by July or August this year. It will host students from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and later invite students from foreign countries.
Source: The Manila Bulletin Online
De Venecia Cites Livelihood Potential Of White Shrimp
PHILIPPINES - Vannamei or white shrimp co-habiting with bangus (milkfish) in some 250,000 hectares of fishponds spread across the country could mean more than one million new jobs and a potential $ 1 billion in export earnings for the country, Speaker Jose de Venecia said yesterday.