FLORIDA POMPANO Trachinotus carolinus IS AN ALTERNATIVE SPECIES FOR LOW SALINITY SHRIMP POND FARMING.

Abstract

As the world production of farm raised shrimp slowly shifts to the countries that have the lowest cost of production, many of the original western hemisph ere shrimp farming firms are finding it almost impossible to compete. These western firms must modify their methods and products quickly or they will perish. The shrimp farmers of T aiwan were faced with crippling out breaks of disease but they recovered their businesses by shiftin g product choice from shrimp to finfish. Over the past three years, the technical staff of Mari culture Technologies International, Inc. has been testing the limits of salinity tolerance of the Florida Pompano (T. carolinus). We have determined that the pompano will grow as well in 19 ppt sali nity well water as they do in normal seawater (35 ppt). It appears to be the opinion of many ob servers in the mariculture industry in North and South America that to have a profitable operat ion one must produce a product that has an ex-farm gate value of over $4.00 per pound. Over the l ast decade, the Florida Pompano has established a wholesale market value of $4.50 to $6.00 per pound depe nding on time of year and size of product.