In a green village near a beautiful river, there lived a young man named Ravi, Ravi had always dreamed of running his own shrimp farm. After years of saving, researching, and learning, he finally decided to take the leap. With high hopes, he invested all his savings and started preparing to buy shrimp seed. Everything seemed perfect—until one small mistake caused him to lose everything.
Ravi knew that buying healthy shrimp seed was one of the most important steps to success. He had read about choosing a reputable hatchery and checking the seed’s health. However, when he finally reached the hatchery, he felt embarrassed to ask for a Disease-Free Certification (or Specific Pathogen-Free (SPF) Certificate). He didn’t want to seem like he didn’t trust the hatchery. “They’ve been doing this for years,” he thought. So, he didn’t ask for proof that the shrimp were free from diseases.
This would soon become a major regret.
When Ravi received the shrimp seed, he noticed some of them didn’t look as healthy as they should. A few were smaller than expected, and they didn’t swim very actively. Even though he had a bad feeling, he convinced himself that it was probably normal and decided to go ahead with stocking them.
He hadn’t thought about whether the hatchery was in a disease-free zone or checked the physical appearance of the shrimp properly. If he had, maybe things would have turned out differently.
TROUBLES DURING TRANSPORTATION
Ravi did his best to transport the shrimp carefully. He knew that the seed needed good containers and an adequate oxygen supply during transportation. But in his rush to get things done, he forgot to monitor the temperature inside the truck. After a long, hot trip, the shrimp were stressed, and some were even on the verge of dying.
To make matters worse, the workers who helped him handle the seed weren’t as careful as they should have been. The rough handling added to the stress, and many shrimp were already weakened before they even reached the farm.
Once the shrimp arrived, Ravi placed them in quarantine tanks. However, the water quality in these tanks wasn’t ideal. He hadn’t paid enough attention to it, thinking the shrimp would be fine. Soon, the shrimp started to show signs of sickness. Some were barely moving, and others started dying.
Ravi realized that he hadn’t disinfected the equipment properly before moving the shrimp between tanks. The spread of disease had likely been caused by poor handling and contamination. His entire investment was now at risk.
THE HARSH REALITY
The situation got worse quickly. The shrimp were infected with a disease, and Ravi was powerless to stop it. He had no choice but to watch as his shrimp stock died off, and his dream began to crumble.
Ravi couldn’t stop thinking about that moment when he felt too shy to ask for a Disease-Free Certificate. If only he had asked, things might have turned out differently. The shrimp were infected when he bought them, but he had ignored the signs and taken shortcuts.
A TURNING POINT
Although Ravi lost all of his investment, he didn’t want to give up on his dream. He decided to start again, but this time, he would be more careful. He found another hatchery—one with a strong reputation—and made sure to ask for the Disease-Free Certificates this time. He checked that the hatchery was in a disease-free zone and made sure the shrimp looked healthy and active before buying them.
Ravi also learned how important it was to control the temperature during transportation and to handle the shrimp carefully to avoid stress. When he quarantined the shrimp, he checked the water quality carefully and disinfected all tools properly, making sure no disease could spread.
SAFETY MEASURES FOR BUYING SEED
Through his experience, Ravi learned some valuable lessons about buying seed. Here are the safety measures he now follows, and recommends to others:
- Buy from reputable hatcheries: Always choose hatcheries with a proven track record and request Disease-Free Certificates to ensure the seed is disease-free.
- Choose hatcheries in disease-free zones: This lowers the risk of bringing diseases into your farm.
- Inspect the seed carefully: Check the seed’s physical appearance to ensure they are healthy, active, and properly sized.
- Ensure proper species identification: Avoid introducing non-native or invasive species by confirming the species of the seed.
- Handle seed carefully during transportation: Use proper containers with enough oxygen and control the temperature to reduce stress on the seed.
- Quarantine the seed: Always quarantine the seed in a separate tank with good water quality to monitor for any diseases before adding them to the main pond.
- Disinfect equipment: Clean all tools and equipment used for handling seed to avoid spreading any diseases.
By following these precautions, Ravi now runs a successful shrimp farm. His first failure was a hard lesson, but it taught him that being cautious and informed is the key to success in aquaculture.
