Technology

The shrimp production technologies practiced at BAL are designed to minimize the negative impact on the environment while ensuring sustainable production. Central to this strategy is the separation of the culture activity from the coastal ecosystem. It is based on the following parameters:

• Zero Water Exchange: The prevention of the discharge of nutrient rich effluent water into coastal ecosystems eliminates the contamination of the surrounding environment. This strategy also virtually eliminates the biosecurity risk inherent with pumping source water from the same bodies of water into which other farmers may be discharging pond effluent, and possibly disease. There is no water exchange of the pond during the production cycle. Seawater is pumped from one hundred fifty (150) meters offshore and finely filtered before entering the seawater reservoirs on the site, ensuring a pure saltwater source. This water is used to supply the hatchery/maturation center, as well as the production ponds on the farm.

• Domesticated Specific Pathogen Resistant (SPR) Shrimp Stocks. As the founder populations of genetically diverse SPR stocks have been established in Belize, they have been selectively bred for faster growth and other desirable production characteristics consistent with intensive, zero-water exchange systems.

• No Net Loss of Mangrove: The construction of production ponds situated well away from the coast and above the inter-tidal zone has allowed zero disturbance of the mangrove ecosystem.

• No Conversion of Production Agricultural Land into Shrimp Culture: BAL selected a 14,000 acre site on the Savannah Pine Ridge of southern Belize; this is land with sandy, low-nutrient soils that has little potential for alternative agricultural use but has ideal elevations for this method of shrimp production.

• No Saline Intrusion into Freshwater Aquifers: The use of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) liners offers several advantages:

  1. Prevents the infiltration of saltwater into the freshwater aquifer;

  2. Prevents erosion of the earthen dikes caused by the rapid circulation of water in the ponds;

  3. Allows rapid cleaning and pond preparation between production cycles;

  4. Eliminates bird predation of the shrimp, as well as the possibility of spreading disease through this vector. The plastic-lined slope of the pond dike is too slippery for birds to land or walk on.

• Minimal Discharge of Pond Sediment or High Nutrient Water at Harvest: Virtually all pond water released during a harvest is retained and treated in the settling ponds. The treated water is then reused in subsequent production cycles. Solid area that is periodically removed from the settling ponds is stockpiled in a designated containment area where it leaches for several months with rainwater and is then used as an organic fertilizer by terrestrial farmers for soil augmentation.