By The Hindu Bureau
Copyright thehindu
Scientists at the State Institute of Fisheries Technology (SIFT-Kakinada) have identified Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP), a parasitic disease, as the cause of mass mortality and stunted growth in shrimp across the Godavari region. An estimated 50,000 acres of shrimp ponds have been affected, with outbreaks causing significant losses over the past few weeks.
SIFT Principal and Additional Director of the Fisheries Department, S. Anjali, confirmed on Saturday, “The EHP disease has been detected in samples collected from infected shrimp ponds in the Godavari region. The infection appears to be introduced during the transportation of seed from hatcheries to the ponds, and pond contamination is also contributing to its spread.”
Ms. Anjali further advised farmers to completely harvest the shrimp and allow the ponds to dry for several weeks to eliminate the infection before starting the next crop.
In an official release, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema District Collector R. Mahesh Kumar stated that farmers should send their shrimp and water samples to SIFT-Kakinada for testing to prevent further losses. District Fisheries Officer P.V. Srinivasa Rao and other officials are actively monitoring the spread of the disease in the district.
