Benchmark reveals development of disease-resistant shrimp

Aquaculture health, nutrition, breeding and genetics company Benchmark Holdings has developed specific pathogen resistant (SPR) shrimp, it announced on Wednesday, to address issues facing the Asian market - the largest and fastest growing market for shrimp.

The AIM-traded firm said it will soon commence field trials in the region, and will provide an update “in due course”.

It described the development as a “breakthrough” which, combined with its market position in the industry, would create a “very attractive” growth opportunity for Benchmark.

Asia produces more than 2.66m tonnes of vannamei shrimp, worth around $13bn annually, with the total value of the market growing by an average 7% each year.

Benchmark said diseases, including white spot (WSSV) and AHPND - previously known as Early Mortality Syndrome - have each resulted in losses valued at billions of dollars per year for the global shrimp industry.

The Asian shrimp industry alone incurred a loss of $22.5bn from AHPND over the period 2009 to 2016.

Benchmark's SPR shrimp had reportedly proven resistance to major diseases including white spot, taura (TSV), NHP (necrotising hepatopancreatitis), IHHNV and vibriosis.

Early indications also suggested that the stocks are resistant to AHPND, the board added.

The “breakthrough” was the result of more than 20 years of experience in the company’s breeding and genetics teams in Norway and Colombia, its breeding technologies and genomic selection tools.

It said it was a good example of the collaboration across the group.

“Over a period of 20 years our teams in Colombia and Norway have developed unique stock that are SPR resistant to a number of the key shrimp diseases,” said chief executive Malcolm Pye.

“We are now turning to the commercialisation phase of this technology taking it into the major shrimp production markets around the world.”

Pye said it was an example of where modern technology could be applied to an industry challenged with major problems, to create a breakout moment and resolve some of the fundamental issues facing a sector.

“We have been able to transfer the insights we learned from salmon genetics to shrimp.

“Shrimp is ideal for a genetic breeding program because of the size of the market, the short cycle and their high reproductive capacity.”