© HydroNeo
To address concerns of sustainability and welfare standards within the shrimp farming industry, HydroNeo - a producer of smart aquaculture farm management software and tools - has announced a new partnership with shrimp welfare experts, FAI. A key feature of the partnership is the integration of FAI’s well-established shrimp welfare assessment framework and technology into HydroNeo’s digital farm management mobile application.
“HydroNeo’s mobile farm management application was developed to help shrimp farmers, especially small-scale operators in Asia, to monitor important production factors such as water quality more easily. By supporting farmers to provide the perfect rearing environment, shrimp will thrive,” commented Fabian Reusch chief executive of HydroNeo, in a press release.
“Adding FAI’s shrimp welfare technology to our existing free Smart Farm management app was a logical next step. By improving shrimp welfare on farms, we’re not only helping farmers grow happier animals, but they’ll be healthier and perform better too. As well as meeting the evolving expectations of consumers regarding welfare practices when rearing shrimp, we’re also improving overall farm performance,” he added.
The collaboration with a well-established farm support company, based in one of the largest shrimp producing regions globally, seems like a logical step for FAI, which is running a global welfare project to improve the conditions of shrimp and fish farms.
“Through our partnership with HydroNeo there’s huge scope to not only improve the lives of shrimp, but also the performance and profitability of shrimp farmers in Asia. By using HydroNeo’s existing technology to help spread the awareness and use of our science-based welfare assessment framework, we’ll have a significant and positive impact on how shrimp are reared in the region,” explained Marius Nicolini, FAI’s software product manager.
The welfare standards not only have an impact on the conditions experienced by the farmed shrimp, but can also have positive knock-on effects for farmers, according to Reusch.
“Research has shown that because of reduced environmental stress and higher animal welfare, our farmers’ shrimp are more resilient to disease and have better growth potential – increasing productivity by 13 percent,” he concluded.
