The Department of Fisheries (DOF) is responsible for maintaining good quality shrimp production, focusing, through its various agencies, at each major component of the shrimp production line, from hatchery to shrimp farms to processing, and finally, to the consumer - in other words, from the farm to the table - in accordance to the Code of Conduct (CoC).
The relevant agencies for initial production line are as follows:
Coastal Aquaculture Research and Development Office, formerly known as the Coastal Aquaculture Division, is a working agency with 22 coastal aquaculture centers or stations located in coastal provinces. It is responsible for experimenting and identifying suitable areas for farm development according to accepted standards, offering technical assistance regarding environmental best practice, such as how to maintain good water and soil quality, and providing antibiotic residue testing and shrimp health examination services.
The Marine Shrimp Research Institute, formerly known as the Marine Shrimp Research and Development Institute, is responsible for aquaculture research and development. The main focus of its research is on shrimp fry nursing, aiming to improve the quality of farms and hatcheries by developing quality production standards, training both DOF personnel and farmers on guidelines, and monitoring farm and hatchery conformance to the Code of Conduct (CoC) and Good Aquaculture Practice (GAP) guidelines.
The Coastal Aquatic Animal Health Research Institute is responsible for the study and control of aquatic animal diseases, such as those that harm shrimp, providing consultation, training and disease examination services. The Institute has a laboratory equipped with modern instruments and equipment used in monitoring and maintaining good shrimp health. The Institute carries out shrimp disease examinations alongside water quality testing for a more effective prevention of shrimp diseases.
The Freshwater Aquatic Animal Feed Research Institute and Coastal Aquatic Animals Feed Research Institute, formerly known as the Feed Quality Control and Development Division, is responsible regulating aquatic animal feed production. The quality of shrimp feed is the key to the quality of the shrimp culture. Nutritional information and optimal feeding ratios for the different kinds of feeds are evaluated by these agencies through a stringent inspection process before issuing certificates to the respective suppliers.
The relevant agencies for the end of production line are as follows:
The Fishery Industry Development Division, formerly known as the Fishery Industry Research and Development Institute, is responsible for the development of guidelines for buyers and sellers to ensure that sanitary conditions are maintained during the transport of shrimp products from farms to processing plants.
The Fishery Product Inspection and Quality Control Division, formerly known as the Fish Inspection and Quality Control Division (FIQD), is responsible for issuing fishery product certificates and ensuring that existing shrimp export quality standards are at par with international standards. Officers of this division are assigned to inspect product cleanliness by using the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) method. |
