Scientists at the Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA) in India have achieved a breakthrough in the cultivation of the giant freshwater prawn, known as ‘scampi,’ by developing a genetically improved strain called CIFA-GI Scampi. This achievement comes as a response to the decline in freshwater prawn production in India since 2006 due to factors like poor growth rate, diseases, inbreeding, and competition from high-volume producers like vannamei shrimp and pangasius fish. The reduced size of scampi had also led fish farmers to abandon its aquaculture.
The development of the genetically improved strain involved a meticulous 14-generation breeding program, which sourced scampi populations from various regions of India, including Gujarat, Kerala, and Odisha, from 2008 to 2020. This effort culminated in the successful registration of the CIFA-GI Scampi in 2020.
With support from the Prime Minister Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) scheme, the Department of Fisheries sanctioned a project worth US$0.5 million to scale up the genetic improvement program in 2021. This funding facilitated the expansion of infrastructure facilities for producing new generations of CIFA-GI Scampi. Dr. Bindu R. Pillai, the Principal Investigator of the Scampi Project, expressed optimism about the potential of this improved strain for fish farming in inland waters, as its harvest period spans seven months, promising significant returns.
The multiplier hatcheries, supported by the PMMSY funding, have the capacity to produce around 400 million scampi seeds from the supplied brood seed. This increased production capability could potentially expand the production area from 12,500 to 25,000 hectares. As a result, CIFA expects that greater awareness of the economic benefits of CIFA-GI Scampi among the farming community will further boost its production. Already, in the year 2021-22, scampi production in the country has seen a remarkable 2.5-fold increase, rising from 8,303 tons to 21,317 tons.
To support the rapid expansion of scampi farming, ICAR has selected five scampi hatcheries as multiplier hatcheries responsible for producing CIFA-GI Scampi seeds and supplying them to farmers. Furthermore, there are plans to add more hatcheries to the network, with the ambitious goal of bringing 25,000 hectares under scampi farming by the year 2026, as per P.K. Sahoo, the Director of ICAR-CIFA. With these efforts, it is hoped that the genetically improved CIFA-GI Scampi will reclaim its popularity among food lovers and revitalize the freshwater prawn farming industry in India.
