Nearly 8 hectares of shrimp area in the first crop in Quynh Luu have white spot disease.

In the first crop of 2018, Quynh Luu district had 465 hectares of shrimp farming area. According to the crop calendar, from March 15, households started releasing shrimp seeds and finished the first crop before July 30, 2018. As of April 9, the whole district had released about 300 hectares of shrimp in the first crop, with over 270 million white-leg shrimp seeds. In the remaining areas that have not been released, people are continuing to treat ponds, selecting quality and reputable shrimp seeds to release.

However, since the beginning of April, in the district, there have been a number of ponds with unusual shrimp deaths concentrated in Quynh Bang, Quynh Luong and Quynh Thanh with an area of ​​7 hectares... After taking samples of the infected shrimp for testing, the results were positive for white spot virus.

Leaders of Quynh Luu district inspected the shrimp farming area in Quynh Luong commune where shrimp were infected with white spot disease. Photo: Viet Hung

Mr. Ho Quang Thang - Manager of VietGAP shrimp farming area in Quynh Luong commune said that according to the district's crop calendar, people started releasing shrimp from March 15, 2018, however, from March 31 until now, 6 ponds of 3 households have continuously appeared with dead shrimp floating on the water surface. Through taking samples for testing, the results were positive for white spot disease. The entire area affected by the epidemic was released within 15 - 22 days. Currently, households with shrimp affected by the epidemic are treating the water source to continue raising.

According to households with shrimp areas affected by disease, entering the 2018 farming season, on average, each family invested over 45 million VND per pond to buy shrimp, refurbish oxygen-generating equipment, feed, and biological products. However, due to unfavorable weather, some shrimp farming areas were affected by disease, causing hundreds of millions of VND in damage.

Mr. Dau Dang Dinh - Head of the Quynh Luu District Veterinary Station said that after some localities reported on the disease situation in shrimp, the station staff went to each farming household to collect samples for testing, the cause of shrimp death was white spot disease. In response to the above situation, the Station made a report to the District Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to send to the Nghe An Fisheries Sub-Department to request about 3 tons of chlorine chemicals to treat the water source. At the same time, it instructed farming households to regularly check the shrimp's development and proactively prevent diseases.

In shrimp ponds affected by the disease, people drain the water and treat the environment to continue raising the new crop. Photo by Viet Hung

To proactively and effectively prevent the outbreak and spread of white spot disease, Quynh Luu district directed the Department of Agriculture, veterinary station, and district agricultural extension station to effectively direct the work of pond renovation, shrimp farming techniques, and disease prevention. Localities with shrimp areas affected by the disease need to coordinate with functional agencies to implement disease prevention and control work, handle shrimp seed batches that do not meet the prescribed quality; shrimp pond areas affected by the disease need to treat water sources to prevent the outbreak from spreading widely; synthesize the situation and report to the District People's Committee for timely direction.

For the farming areas, the district requires localities to strengthen propaganda, training, guidance on farming techniques and disease prevention, and environmental disinfection in shrimp farming areas. Direct and assign staff to closely follow the facilities to provide technical guidance, inspect and monitor the farming and disease situation; local authorities need to handle cases of illegal release of shrimp; inspect and control shrimp breeding facilities.

Shrimp farmers must regularly monitor the disease situation and the results of periodic environmental monitoring in farming areas. When shrimp in the pond show unusual signs, or are suspected of being sick, they must immediately report to the local authorities for timely treatment./.