Giant shrimp raises big concern as it invades the Gulf

[SpearMax]

Giant shrimp raises big concern as it invades the Gulf

Asian tiger prawn has scientists worried

By MATTHEW TRESAUGUE, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Updated 09:32 p.m., Saturday, December 24, 2011

A truly jumbo shrimp is causing big worries about the future of the Gulf of Mexico's ecosystem.

The Asian tiger prawn, a foot-long crustacean with a voracious appetite and a proclivity for disease, has invaded the northern Gulf, threatening prized native species, from crabs and oysters to smaller brown and white shrimp.

Though no one is sure what the ecological impact will be, scientists fear a tiger prawn takeover could knock nature's balance out of whack and turn a healthy, diverse marine habitat into one dominated by a single invasive species.


Continue reading here: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-te...he-2424242.php

[FLETCHOSAURUS]

At first glance I thought it was a chick lobster. I wonder how they expect to counter this potentcial problem. Genetic engineering and "farming" of species has proven to have its Consequences a number oftimes. From giant Rambo trout, pollock and salmon,etc. I wonder how the long term will effect not only ecosystems but fisheries as well. Good read thanks for sharing

[kkeller]

I want to spear one!!! ( if its legal)

[Hank49]

The article states that possible introduction could be from the farms in Central America due to recent flooding. I am not aware of any farms growing monodon in this region.
They were introduced into Colombia I believe years ago and some may have escaped. I've caught a few in our harvests here recently. We take down a pond of Pacific White Shrimp and have seen some monodon, which had to have come in from the sea.
White spot virus did come into this part of the world by introducing them here. And now, IMNV, a virus that was in Brazilian farmed Pacific White Shirmp (p Vannamei) is now in Indonesia due to someone shipping broodstock from Brazil to there as SE Asian shrimp farms changed over to Vannamei. Moving live shrimp around the world had the same effect as when the first Europeans sailed into the South Pacific. The Tahitians all started dying of flue and other diseases that Euros were used to.

This has been going on for over 25 years now. Like the Lionfish invasion, we'll just have to see what happens. The good thing, I believe, for the environment is that shrimp aren't big time predators. They're more the cockroaches of the sea, cleaning up the rubbish on the bottom.

[Jared44]

Have you guys ever eaten one? When I was in Thailand, I ate almost nothing but Tiger Prawns! Freshly cooked and spiced, they were awsome!. I don't want to see the degridation of native species, but this isn't all bad, like the Lionfish. At least the Tiger Prawns offer a new resource.

[Sammy925]

I with Jared, They are awesome. They have been in the local TV news here for about 2-3 weeks. Showing up in Mobile Al and Ms Trawler catch. Concern is good and keeping tabs on a new impact. But alarm bells????? We introduced Chinook and CoHo salmon to the great lakes and I remeber as a kid alot of oldtimes at the pier complaining about the messing up the walleye and perch populations. It quickly became one of the best fisherys in the world. I would like to see an at sea farming of these in the Gulf just to study.

[Otis Driftwood]

Make sure the right regs get in place to allow spearing before they become an important commercial species.

[French]

...Makes me very hungry.. those things taste amazing!

[Funaholic]

Originally Posted by Jared44

Have you guys ever eaten one? When I was in Thailand, I ate almost nothing but Tiger Prawns! Freshly cooked and spiced, they were awsome!. I don't want to see the degridation of native species, but this isn't all bad, like the Lionfish. At least the Tiger Prawns offer a new resource.

Yes, I've eaten quite a few. My dad is a commercial shrimper in NC and they have been catching a few. He has caught some about a mile offshore near Holden Beach and also Carolina Beach They are working with the state to study them. As far as eating them, in my opinion they taste like lobster. I've attached some pics...and these are some of the smaller ones.

[sealark]

Mother nature will take care of them just like the Lion fish.

[Marcus]

Mhmmmmm...Giant Shrimp.

[Surface Tension]

Originally Posted by Funaholic

Yes, I've eaten quite a few. My dad is a commercial shrimper in NC and they have been catching a few. He has caught some about a mile offshore near Holden Beach and also Carolina Beach They are working with the state to study them. As far as eating them, in my opinion they taste like lobster. I've attached some pics...and these are some of the smaller ones.

Hhhmm.....those two in that left hand picture look like they had a low boil bath!

[SubSub]

You guys shure have a tasty problem! Wish I could be there trying to help you solve it!

[Shorediver]

The asian tiger prawn shrimp is also in South Florida,at least in small numbers.I caught one while shrimping a couple years ago.