5.1. Production of Giant Freshwater Prawn
At present, giant freshwater prawn in Lampung is caught from rivers. The catching is done by the inhabitants in the surroundings as a by-product of inland fisheries activities.
There is no giant fresh-water shrimp culture yet in Lampung. The inland fishery culture is limited to freshwater and brackish water fish-ponds. The fish ponds are generally of a small size, not exceeding 1,000 square metres, as the fish cultivation in freshwater fish ponds is only conducted as a sideline by the farmers. The existing brackish water pond culture of shrimps is limited to marine shrimp. Therefore, giant freshwater prawn culture is a new undertaking in the Lampung region.
5.2. Resources
In the Way Jepara District, Central Lampung, where the commercial ponds will be established, the Department of Public Works and Electric Power (P.U.T.L.) is building an irrigation project. This project, scheduled for completion in the year 1979, will be capable of irrigating paddy fields with an areal-extent of 6,500 hectares.
At the time a survey was conducted in February 1977, there were already several plots of paddy-fields, most of them still constituting grass-weed fields and cassava-fields. The land condition is relatively flat at a height of 60 metres above the sea-surface. According to a test conducted by the Directorate General of Fisheries, the PH content of the water of the Jepara Lake is 7, so that it meets the requirements for giant freshwater prawn cultivation.
For the Hatchery, bracksih water is required. One of the locations, which meets the requirements, is at Way Urang, located on the coast and at the river-mouth.
These two areas are wet areas as can be observed from the rainfall data at Way Urang and Way Jepara. (See Appendices V.2. and V.4.). Gravied shrimp for the giant fresh-water prawn can be obtained from catches in waters surrounding the Hatchery location. In the cultivation of giant freshwater prawns, besides feed in the form of moss and water plants, additional feed is also required. This additional feed is a kind of broiler starter, can easily be obtained in Lampung.
Expert personnel for the hatchery will be provided by the Directorate General of Fisheries.
Other manpower requirements for the Hatchery, can be recruited locally. Whereas manpower for the Commercial Ponds will be recruited from transmigrant freshwater fish pond farmers, or farmers originating from Java, who meet certain predetermined requirements.
5.3. In the commercial ponds area, various facilities are required for cultivation activities as well as the processing of shrimp. One requirement is the availability of freshwater supply all year long.
The irrigation channel of Way Jepara, located near the commercial ponds, is estimated to be able of being irrigated all year long. In addition, other facilities, such as cold storages and ice plants are at present not available in the area. The subject is described in chapter IV on Marketing.
5.4. This giant freshwater prawn Culture Project covers activities on the breeding of seedlings at the Hatchery and their cultivation in the commercial ponds. As the technical requirements needed in seedling activities and cultivation are different and due to the unavailability of areals which meet both requirements, the locations for seedling activities and for the commercial ponds will be placed separately. The planned location for the Hatchery is at Way Urang. Where as for the Commercial Ponds at Way Jepara.
5.5. To understand the requirements of the project, processes and conditions of the location showed are considered.
1). Process of Seedlings Provision
Juvenile prawn are bred by gravied shrimp living in freshwater, in inland open water as well as in freshwater fish ponds. One gravied shrimp weighing 80 grams can in the average lay 40,000 eggs. If cultivated properly, the respective gravied shrimp can lay eggs again after 2 months. In order to obtain larvae, the laying gravied shrimp are transferred to rearing ponds. After 18–20 days, the eggs will hatch into larvae and for their living medium, brackish water is required with a salt content of 15 o/oo (fifteen promile). Within 30– 50 days, the average survival rate of larvae is approximately 20 pct. After this age, the seedlings are called juveniles. Before being transferred to freshwater ponds, these juveniles should first be adapted for one month in small plot-sectioned ponds. The salt content of the water in the ponds are adapted by gradually reducing it, so that after one month the relative adaptation ponds already contain freshwater, in which the juveniles can live.
According to tests conducted at the shrimps. Research and Development Institute (LPPU) at Jepara, the survival rate of juveniles in the adaptation ponds is approximately 50 pct. The above survival rate greatly depends on the cultivation intensity.
After hatching, the gravied shrimp are transferred/moved again to the gravied shrimp cultivation pond. In order that the gravied shrimp can lay eggs, male shrimps are also required with a quantity proportion of 4 : 1.
2). Location of the Hatchery
The planned location of the Hatchery is in the Way Urang Village, District of Kalianda, Regency of South Lampung (See Appendix V.1.). This location is on the coast and at the river-mouth of Way Urang. The choice of this location is based on the following considerations:
It has a clean coast and clear sea-water, so that the requirement for clean salt-water can be fulfilled.
The water of the Way Urang river is fresh and clean and is not affected by ebb-and-tide, so that this river-water is fresh all year long.
The road network leading towards the Hatchery from the capital of the province is sufficiently good and is an asphalted IVth. class provincial road.
In the rivers surrounding the planned location of the Hatchery, giant freshwater prawns can be found.
3). The facilities required for the Hatchery are:
The tanks and ponds, consisting of :
The technical specifications of the respective tanks and ponds can be observed in Appendix V.5.
The equipments needed, are :
The technical specifications can be observed in Appendix V.5.
Buildings consisting of :
The specifications can be observed in Appendix V.5. and the lay-out of the Hatchery can be observed in Appendix V.10.
Vehicles consisting of :
1 jeep.
Other equipments:
5.6. Commercial Ponds
For the commercial ponds, the cultivation process, location and other facilities required, should be taken into consideration.
1). Giant Freshwater Prawn Cultivation Process :
The juveniles are taken from the hatchery in special tanks half-filled with freshwater, to the commercial ponds. In order to ensure, that the mortality rate is less than 5 pct, oxygen content in the water should be increased by inserting oxygen gas into the tank, temperature should be maintained at around 23 – 24°C and the juvenile density should exceed 200 pieces per liter of water.
The scattering of juveniles into the ponds is conducted by observing a scatter-density of 5 – 6 pieces per square metre.
Before the ponds are scattered with juveniles, the ponds should first be treated, in order that the fertility of the ponds can be guaranteed and prawn pests can be destroyed.
In fertile ponds, moss and other water plants constituting prawn feed, can grow satisfactorily. In order to obtain a sufficient oxygen content in the water and to maintain the water-volume in the ponds, a water inflow-rate of 100 – 150 liters per minute per hectare is required, depending on the condition of the ponds.
In addition, the ponds should be totally dried for one month every year, in order to restore their fertility and to maintain the ponds.
If the feed provided is not sufficient, then the prawn can become cannibals. In order to prevent this, sufficient feed should be provided, so that additional feed is required. This is supplied in the form of broiler starter. The quantity of additional feed provided, depends on the fertility of the ponds, the age and quantity of prawns being cultivated (See Appendix V.13).
During the cultivation, the existence of prawn pests should be observed, among others snakes, and prawn eating fishes. Besides that, leaks in the ponds should be prevented, as they can cause the loss of prawns.
The first catch can be conducted 5 months after the juveniles have been scattered. The catching method is by using gill-nets with 2 inch mesh, in order that small-size prawns will not be caught also. Small prawns which are also caught, are immediately returned into the ponds. After the first catch, juveniles can be scattered again and a constant scatter density should be maintained.
According to the results of a survey conducted by the Directorate General of Fisheries at several locations in Central-Java, the mortality rate as from the moment of scattering until the catch, is approximately 40–60 pct.
2). Location of the Commercial Ponds
The planned location of the commercial ponds is in the village of Labuhan Ratu II, District of Way Jepara, Regency of Central Lampung, Province of Lampung (See Appendix V.3).
This planned location of the commercial Ponds is in the irrigation channel of Way Jepara at the Left Channel VI of the Jepara Dam (B J Ki.VI). The areal-extent of the ponds to be constructed is 90 hectares, of which a part, namely 54 hectares, is located on the left-hand side of B J Ki. VI, with a water debit of 150 litres per second.
Another part, namely 36 hectares, is located on the right-hand side of B J Ki. VI with a water debit of 132 litres per second. These two parts are separated by an entrance-road to the Jepara Dam.
These commercial ponds are located in the tertiary channels close to the primary channel (see Appendix V.3.). The water debit of these water channels is sufficient to meet the requirements for giant freshwater prawn ponds, which need a water-flow of 150 litres per minute per hectare.
The water for this Way Jepara irrigation originates from the Jepara lake, which is never dry all year long, so that the expected continuous water supply can be guaranteed.
Once a year, when the paddy-crop harvest has been completed, the irrigation channels will be dried for approximately one month in order to perform the maintenance of these channels. In order to prevent the disturbance of the continuity of water supply due to this drying, a special channel should be constructed from the primary channel. Arrangements should be made with the local irrigation service to construct this “emergency” channel.
The pond acidity condition (PH of water) for the ponds should be around 7, and this condition can be met by the water originating from the Way Jepara irrigation. According to a survey by the Directorate General of Fisheries, Way Jepara is a wet area, so that it is favourable for ponds. Hence, considering the above review, the choice of the Way Jepara as the location for the commercial ponds is sufficiently satisfactory.
3.) The facilities required for giant freshwater prawn culture, are as follows:
Facilities at the Commercial Ponds:
For the cultivation of giant freshwater prawns, the existence of freshwater ponds is required, with an all year long water supply. The ponds will be managed by 30 family-heads, and each family-head will manage an areal extent of 3 hectares.
According to a test conducted by the Shrimp Research and Development Institute (LPPU) at Jepara, the most effective commercial ponds should have measurements of 30 metres in width and the areal-extent of each pond should be less than 1/2 hectare.
Since the ponds should be dried once a year for one month, and the catch is planned each month, the areal extent of each family-head can be devided into 8 ponds, each with measurements of 30 × 125 square metres.
Each family will also be provided with a house and a garden. The landplot for housing is approximately 24 × 25 square metres, with a simple house, of approximately 60 square metres on it.
In order to irrigate the ponds, water channels should be constructed, constituting of primary and secondary dikes, inflow as well as outflow channels.
For the water-channels and dikes, an additional areal-extent of land is required, estimated at approximately 15 pct. of the planned areal-extent of the ponds, so that the land required for the commercial ponds and housing will be 105 hectares.
The lay-outs of the ponds and housing at the Commercial Ponds can be observed in Appendix V.11. The specification of the required facilities for each family-head in operating his pond, are as follows:
Several ponds with a total areal-extent of 3 hectares.
Water channels and dikes with an areal-extent of approximately 4,400 square metres.
Water gates.
Land for housing and garden with an areal-extent of 600 square metres.
A simple house.
Catching equipments.
Weighing scale.
Other requirements can be observed in Appendix V.12.
Facilities for shrimp processing:
A building for shrimp Processing:
Space for washing, cutting-off the heads and sortation of the shrimps, before they are marketed.
The measurements of the building are 9 × 2 square metres, with an estimated cost of Rp. 40,000.--/square metre.
Insulated Rooms
Space for temporary storage of shrimp catch while awaiting despatch to the market and for storage of ice supply.
To preserve freshness of shrimp, in storage as well as transpotation, they should be mixed with crushed ice. The proportion between the quantities of ice and shrimps is approximately 2 : 1. With that measure, it is estimated, that the freshness of shrimp can be preserved for 2 days.
Three insulated rooms should be provided for storage of shrimps and ice, each with a capacity of 2 × 3 square metres. The cost of these insulated rooms is estimated at approximately Rp.50,000.-- per square metre.
To protect the insulated rooms, a building should be constructed with an areal extent of 5 × 6 square metres and at estimated cost of Rp.40,000.-- per square metre.
An artesian well
The processing of prawn requires clean water. This necessitates an artesian well. This water supply should be facilitated by a water-reservoir and water-pumps.
The estimated cost for constructing this water-installation is Rp.2,500,000.--
A Power Plant
The electricity required for the pumps and lighting will be supplied by a generating set with a capacity of 5 KVA at a cost of approximately Rp. 2,500,000.--
Insulated trucks
To facilitate the transportation of prawn from the cool room to the airport, and the transportation of ice from the nearest plant, namely from Metro, 2 insulated trucks are required, each with a capacity of 2 tons.
Packing Material
The packing of prawn should meet the requirements for preserving freshness as well as facilitating its transport by airplane. The prawns are packed together with ice in plastic bags with a weight of 5 kilograms per bag, and every 10 bags is packed again in a carton box.
Other facilities, needed are:
A feed making machine
The shrimp feed required will be made by the Primary Fisheries Cooperative coordinating the project. For this purpose, a feed making machine is required, to supply the needs of the farmers. Therefore, buildings to accommodate the manufacture of shrimp feed and warehouses both for feed and packing material.
Office Building
To facilitate the administrative activities at the Commercial Ponds, the Primary Fisheries Cooperative needs an office building.
Manpower Requirements
The management of the shrimp ponds will be conducted by a family-head assisted by his wife and children. For this purpose 30 family heads will be required. The maintenance of the water channels will be conducted collectively.
To take care of water arrangements, respected farmers should be selected and appointed. For the catch, more people than one family is usually required, so that farmers should do it collectively. Therefore, the catch time-schedule should be arranged in such a way, that a collective arrangement to catch the crop is possible. The manpower required for managing the prawn processing unit consist of :
1 head/chief, technical personnel, assistant, guard, 1 person each.
5.7. Project Implementation
The activities to be conducted can be observed in Appendix V.7. From the diagram it can be seen, that 31 months after the start of implementation, the ponds will be ready to receive the first juveniles from the hatchery. As indicated earlier, the first catch can be expected after the 38th month. The network diagram and project construction schedule can be observed in Appendices V.8 and V.9.
5.8. The hatchery should be capable of providing juveniles for the commercial ponds in sufficient quantities and at required times. The best scatter density is 5 juveniles per square metre pond, therefore each family head will need some 300,000 juveniles yearly.
The total requirement of the commercial ponds will be 9,000,000 juveniles yearly or 750,000 juveniles per month. This quantity should be able to be supplied by the hatchery. In order to produce sufficient juveniles for the Commercial Ponds, their mortality rate should be taken into consideration. With proper care, in order to produce 9 million juveniles, approximately 95 million eggs are required annually.
If each gravied shrimp can lay eggs once in 3 months and each laying can produce an average of 40,000 eggs, then it is estimated, that each gravied shrimp can produce an average of 160,000 eggs in one year. In order to produce 95 million eggs, approximately 600 gravied shrimp are required. To provide for a safety it is better to have minimum approximated 800 gravied shrimp.
Considering the proportion between gravied shrimps and male shrimps is 4 : 1, as explained above, therefore 200 male shrimps are required for each batch of 800 gravied shrimp. In order to meet the requirements of the commercial ponds, a minimum of 1,000 prawns should be cultivated in the hatchery.
5.9. For the cultivation of giant freshwater prawns, and gravied shrimp, feed should be provided. The natural shrimp feed are worms, larvae, insects, animal casts and plants.
The weight of additional feed, besides moss and water plants, to be given each day is approximately 5 pct. of the body-weight of the giant fresh water prawn.
The estimated amount of additional feed to be supplied is approximately 1,800 kilograms per year.
The larvae feed, besides alga water, can also consist of ground fresh fish, as additional feed. To determine, the best feed for the growth of the larvae at the relative location, test should be performed in the Hatchery Laboratory.
From the results of a survey on giant freshwater prawn in Indonesia,*) it appears, that the cost of additional feed for producing 100 juveniles is approximately Rp. 906.-- in a hatchery with a capacity of 600,000 juveniles per year. In a hatchery with a capacity of 9 million juveniles per year, the cost will be less, which is estimated at Rp.500.-- per 1,000 juveniles.
*) Giant freshwater Prawn in Indonesia, the Directorate General of Fisheires.
Therefore, the required cost of larvae- and juveniles feed in order to produce 9 million juveniles will be approximately Rp. 4,500,000.-- per year, including feed for trial-ponds.
5.10. The scatter density in the commercial ponds should be kept constant, by adding juveniles in case the volume in the ponds decreases, due to mortality or catch.
The first catch will be conducted 5 months after the seedlings have been scattered and after the catch, juveniles should be scattered again.
The next catch is conducted after one month and so on every month until the 12th month. After the 12th month, the ponds should be totally dried.
The catches are not conducted simultaneously, but by turns. It is estimated, that the catch of the whole project can be conducted three times in one week, following a rotation system.
In each catch, small prawns of less than 35 grams per piece are also caught. This is estimated, to be 200 pct. of the total catch.
In order to estimate the expected catch quantity, various comparison data can be adopted, among others :
Results of tests in several ponds in Central Java by the Directorate General of Fisheries show that the mortality-rate in commercial ponds is around 40 to 60 pct. The total catch of 1 hectare with a scatter density of 5, is 22,500 prawns. Thus the total catch per hectare, with two crops per year, is estimated at 45,000 pieces of prawns. Taking into account the drying of the ponds, it is estimated, that 20 pct. of the ponds can not be utilized, so that the average prawn catch will be 36,000 pieces per hectare per year.
If the average weight of the prawns caught is 37.5 grams, than the total catch per hectare per year is estimated at 1,350 kilograms.
Based on the results of a test by the Directorate General of Fisheries-at Ngrajek, the trial catch of giant freshwater prawns from a pond with an areal-extent of 2,000 square metres, is 250 kilograms, in a period of 7 months. For one year, the catch is estimated at approximately 2,000 kilograms. The above production figures greatly depends on the intensity of the cultivation.
In comparison the intensively conducted giant freshwater prawn culture in Hawai, can reach 3,820 kilograms/hectare/year. Therefore, the above estimated catch can still be increased.
Thus there are two alternatives in calculating the catch, namely :
the 1st alternative : 1,350 kilograms per hectare per year, and
the 2nd alternative : 2,000 kilograms per hectare per year.
It should be noted, that the weight of a head-less giant freshwater prawn is approximately one half of a whole prawn (head-on).
5.11. The proposed Production Program, is based on the estimate, that in the first year the catch, which can be conducted, will be 7 times, in the second year and so on : 12 times a year.
As the commercial ponds at Way Jepara are new and the persons managing the ponds are still learning how to cultivate prawns, it is estimated, that the catch will not at once achieve the figures described above.
To assure satisfactory production catch and to train local personnel, an expert consultant in shrimp culture and cultivation techniques is required during the early periods of development.
With the experiences gained and the ever-improving soil condition of the ponds, production is expected to increase gradually each year. The catch rate for the first six years is estimated as follows :
1st year : 30 pct. of the expected catch potential.
2nd year : 60 pct. of the expected catch potential.
3rd year : 70 pct. of the expected catch potential.
4th year : 80 pct. of the expected catch potential.
5th year : 90 pct. of the expected catch potential.
6th year : 100 pct. of the expected catch potential.
Since in the 1st year, the catch can only be conducted 7 times, it is estimated, that the catch will only reach 7/12 × 50 pct. or approximately 30 pct. of the expected catch potential.
Therefore, the estimated production per year can be calculated as presented in Table V.1. and Table V.2.
| Year | C a t c h | |
| 1st Alternative | 2nd Alternative | |
| 1st | 1,215 | 1,800 |
| 2nd | 2,430 | 3,600 |
| 3rd | 2,835 | 4,200 |
| 4th | 3,240 | 4,800 |
| 5th | 3,645 | 5,400 |
| 6th | 4,050 | 6,000 |
| Year | C a t c h | |
| 1st Alternative | 2nd Alternative | |
| 1st | 36,450 | 54,000 |
| 2nd | 72,900 | 108,000 |
| 3rd | 85,050 | 126,000 |
| 4th | 97,200 | 144,000 |
| 5th | 109,350 | 162,000 |
| 6th | 121,500 | 180,000 |
Note: The catch will consist of 80 pct. class A Size and 20 pct. class B size.
5.12. With a production program as described above, the requirements for feed and auxiliary materials are estimated as follows :
a. Feed
According to the results of a test conducted in Singaparna (Haniah H. Suharto of the Inland Fishery Institute, Bogor, 1977), the feed quantity to be provided for commercial ponds is determined according to the age and weight of the shrimps.
This test was conducted in an old already established pond, whereas for new ponds, the feed quantity to be provided, is expected to be higher. The calculation can be observed in Appendix V.13.
On the basis of the above calculation, the estimated feed requirements per year for the two catch alternatives can be observed in Table V.3.
| Alternative year | 1st Alternative | 2nd Alternative |
| 1st | 103,842 | 159,570 |
| 2nd | 207,684 | 319,140 |
| 3rd | 242,298 | 372,330 |
| 4th | 276,912 | 425,520 |
| 5th | 311,526 | 478,710 |
| 6th | 346,140 | 531,900 |
b. Fertilizer
For the cultivation of prawns, organic and anorganic fertilizers are required, consisting of urea and compost or animal fertilizer. The urea component required is about 150 kilograms per hectare of pond per year. Thus every 3 hectares will require 450 kilograms of urea per year or 13.5 tons of urea per year for the whole project. The compost fertilizer requirement is estimated at 300 kilograms per hectare annually.
c. Other auxiliary materials
Other auxiliary materials required are materials and equipment for repairing the water channels and catching equipments.
The cost for these auxiliary materials per year is estimated at 10 pct. of the value of the equipments to be repaired.
