Risk analysis in aquaculture – experiences from small-scale shrimp farmers of India

The Network of Aquaculture Centers in Asia and the Pacific (NACA), in association with the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) has been implementing a collaborative programme for the last several years to support shrimp farmers in India to adopt better management practices (BMPs) for disease control, coastal management and sustainable farming. This programme was started with a longitudinal epidemiological study to identify hazards (disease, food safety, social, environmental and financial) and N.R. Umesh National Center for Sustainable Aquaculture 69-17-8, SBI Officers Colony, Rajendra Nagar Kakinada-533003, AP, India [email protected]; C.V. Mohan Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia and the Pacific (NACA) Suraswadi Building, Department of Fisheries Kasetsart University Campus, Ladyao, Jatujak Bangkok 10900, Thailand [email protected] M.J. Phillips Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia and the Pacific (NACA) Suraswadi Building, Department of Fisheries Kasetsart University Campus, Ladyao, Jatujak Bangkok 10900, Thailand [email protected] B.V. Bhat Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), MPEDA House, Panampilly Avenue, P.B.4272 Cochin 682036, India [email protected] G. Ravi Babu National Center for Sustainable Aquaculture 69-17-8, SBI Officers Colony, Rajendra Nagar Kakinada-533003, AP, India [email protected] A.B. Chandra Mohan National Center for Sustainable Aquaculture 69-17-8, SBI Officers Colony, Rajendra Nagar Kakinada-533003, AP, India [email protected] P.A. Padiyar Food And Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rehabilitation Support Coordination Unit Jl. Angsa No. 12, Ateuk Deah Tanoh,Banda Aceh, 2344 Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, Indonesia [email protected] Understanding and applying risk analysis in aquaculture 248 assess risks in small-scale shrimp farms in Andhra Pradesh (2000–2001). The “risk factors” identified using epidemiological tools provided an understanding of the disease causation and possible risk management options (i.e. BMPs) for reducing the likelihood of shrimp disease outbreaks and low pond productivity. Formulation of BMPs was followed by a village demonstration programme (2003–2006) that successfully organized small-scale farmers into self-help groups for adoption of BMPs. The success of the village demonstration programme generated considerable enthusiasm among the aquaculture farming community, and there are now more requests from many quarters for conducting such programmes in the different regions of India. As a result, aquaclubs/aquaculture societies have been established in the maritime states for reducing disease risks and effective communication of risk management strategies with a participatory approach. In order to sustain the work initiated by the MPEDA-NACA project and provide a thrust to sustainable aquaculture development, MPEDA has established a separate agency – the National Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture aimed to provide technical support to the primary aquaculture societies and build capacity among small farmers to reduce risks and to produce quality shrimp in a sustainable manner. Although the programme was carried out in five coastal states of India (Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Gujarat, Karnataka and Orissa), the findings have wider application to other coastal shrimp farming areas