1930–1940: Seale and Rollefsen found that the larvae of Artemia salina were an ideal food for growing fish larvae, and that Artemia cysts could be stored for many years when kept dry.
Also for other freshwater and marine animals it was found to be a good food.
1940: First commercial distribution of Artemia cysts harvested from natural finding-places: saltflats of San Francisco Bay and Great Salt Lake (USA).
1960: With increasing demand, cysts from Saskatchewan (Canada) became available. Total distribution at that moment: a few 10,000 kg, not enough to fulfill demand.
Monopolization of the market resulted in increasing prices: up to 50 US$ per kg FOB San Francisco.
In 1978 about 10 commercial distributors of Artemia eggs exist: Buenos Aires-Argentina, Dampier and Shark Bay - Australia, Macau-Brazil (inoculated race), Chaplin Lake-Canada, Aigues Mortes - France, Cadiz-Spain Izmir-Turkey, Great Salt Lake, San Diego, East and West San Francisco-USA. More than 50 tons are harvested annually.
Thanks to this, price went down to about 30 US$ per kg in summer 1978.
For the moment supply seems to meet demand. Yearly production is more than 100 ton.
Right now in the USA and in Australia, good quality cysts can be bought for 20–30 US$ per kg local price. Nontheless prices in countries importing cysts are still high due to taxation, transportation and locally made profit. Thailand: 50–60 US$ per kg. Philippines: 60–85 US$ per kg depending on direct import or through local dealer.
About ten commercial distributors exist, but many more finding-places of natural Artemia (different strains) have been or are being found all over the world. In Asia the following countries have natural Artemia strains: China, India, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Japan, Turkey. In S.E. Asia Artemia does not occur because of the distinct heavy rainy season which prevents the existence of permanent brine ponds or lakes.
Since 1977, Artemia has been successfully inoculated in lakes or pond systems which did not have natural Artemia.
Macau Brazil: In April 1977, a 10 - ha salt pond was inoculated with naupliae of the San Francisco Bay Brand strain hatched out of 250 g of cysts. In June of the same year the first batch of cysts was harvested and the Artemia population spread out over the entire salt pond system (area of about 1000 ha). From then cyst production increased sharply.
December 1977: 6 tons of cysts harvested, November 1978: 25 tons, 1979: more than 40 tons.
Barotac Nuevo Philippines: February 1978, 125,000 pre-adults and naupliae hatched out of 80 g of cysts of the San Francisco Bay Brand strain were inoculated in a 300 m2 concrete tank containing brine. After feeding them, they were transfered to two saltponds with a total area of about 6,500 m2. At the end of May 1978, a total of 35 kg of good quality cysts plus 30–40 kg wet weight of adults were harvested.
Chachoengsao-Thailand: Inoculation experiments started in 1978–1979 in transformed evaporation ponds in saltfarms. In 1980 more than 250 kg of cysts were harvested.
Mundra and Goa-India: Inoculation tests were successful end 1978.
