Local shrimp farm exports to Vietnam

A year after exporting parent shrimp to Indonesia, Saipan SyAqua Aquaculture sold 1,100 pieces of Pacific white shrimp broodstock to Vietnam last month.

Operations manager Rommel G. Catalma said the China Town shrimp farm sold 600 male and 500 female broodstocks to an undisclosed company in Vietnam through its sister company in Thailand.

Catalma said he cannot divulge the name of the purchaser because of its contract agreement with the company.

The sale of 1,100 pieces of Pacific white shrimp (Pennaeus Vannamei) is welcome news to Saipan SyAqua Aquaculture owner Anthony Pellegrino.

“Imagine little old Saipan exporting to Vietnam, which is a pro in the shrimp business and our shrimp are the breeders. Our mamas and papas are going to make all the babies for them to grow shrimps. Our customers are extremely happy we are about get another order from them soon.”

Pellegrino said the company also has pending requests from India, Iran, and Indonesia for 1,100 pieces each at the end of the month.

Aside from this, the shrimp farm is doing fairly well locally.

“There are so many opportunities. I love that problem. We had just closed a contract for Palms Resort Saipan as they will start buying at least 1,000 lbs of shrimp a month. Saipan World Resort is also buying on the average 40 lbs a day,” said Pellegrino.

Catalma, meanwhile, said with the increased demand for the shrimp, the company has no choice but to increase its production.

“Production now is about 6,000 lbs a month. We’ve got to expand and we’re looking at it.”

Currently, Saipan SyAqua is the only shrimp farm outside of Hawaii that exports Pacific white shrimp broodstock. This is because under the law, only U.S. territories are allowed to export the broodstock of that particular specie since it was developed by Hawaii’s Oceanic Institute.

Catalma added that aside from the restriction, there are also stringent requirements to be able to export parent shrimp to other countries. First, a farm or facility needs a two-year disease free certification from the University of Arizona and then pass the inspection of the department of fisheries of the particular country the company is exporting to.

He said Saipan SyAqua passed the quarterly reviews from the University of Arizona and was given the green light to export by Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

At any given time, Saipan SyAqua has a million shrimps at its facility in China Town. Production, meanwhile, is around 6,000 lbs a month and increasing.