Chennai, August 2026:

The ICAR–Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (ICAR–CIBA), Chennai, has successfully demonstrated fishmeal-free shrimp production using the Super-Intensive Precision and Natural Shrimp Farming System (SIPNSF) at its model demonstration facility at the Muttukadu Experimental Station.

The 98-day Front-Line Demonstration (FLD) showed that shrimp can be produced using a zero-fishmeal diet while achieving production performance comparable to conventional feed.

Zero-Fishmeal Diet Delivers Comparable Production

During the culture trial, shrimp fed with the zero-fishmeal diet achieved a production of 2.30 tonnes, compared with 2.44 tonnes recorded using the conventional control feed.

The results indicate that eliminating fishmeal from the shrimp diet did not significantly compromise production under the SIPNSF system, highlighting the potential of alternative feed strategies for sustainable shrimp aquaculture.

SIPNSF Achieves High Production Efficiency

The SIPNSF technology recorded a consistent productivity of 4.5–5.0 kg/m³, equivalent to approximately 45–50 tonnes per hectare per crop, over a culture period of around 90–100 days.

The system is designed for intensive shrimp production while focusing on efficient resource utilisation and improved sustainability.

Its performance in the demonstration highlights the potential of combining intensive production methods with alternative feed approaches to address emerging challenges in aquaculture.

Farmers and Industry Stakeholders Witness Harvest

The harvest under the FLD-cum-interaction programme was inaugurated by Dr M. Kailasam, Director, ICAR–CIBA, on August 7, 2026.

Around 30 stakeholders participated in the programme, including:

  • Shrimp farmers
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Scientists
  • Academicians
  • Students
  • Feed millers

Participants witnessed the harvest and evaluated the performance of both the SIPNSF system and shrimp raised using the zero-fishmeal diet.

The interaction also provided an opportunity for stakeholders to understand the practical potential of the technology and discuss its application in intensive shrimp farming.

Reducing Dependence on Fishmeal

Fishmeal has traditionally been an important component of aquaculture feeds, but reducing dependence on fish-derived feed ingredients is increasingly relevant to the sustainability of aquaculture.

The successful FLD demonstrates the potential for fishmeal-free shrimp diets to support production while helping explore more sustainable feed practices.

The comparable production achieved during the trial provides an encouraging basis for further development and adoption of alternative feed strategies in shrimp farming.

Towards Sustainable Intensive Shrimp Farming

The SIPNSF demonstration represents an important step towards developing efficient, scalable and environmentally sustainable shrimp production systems.

By combining intensive production technology with fishmeal-free feed, ICAR–CIBA is addressing two important challenges facing modern aquaculture: maintaining high productivity while improving the sustainability of production systems.

The initiative reflects ICAR–CIBA's continued efforts to develop innovative technologies that combine production efficiency, environmental sustainability and economic viability.

The results from the demonstration could support further field-level validation and wider dissemination of sustainable shrimp farming technologies among farmers and aquaculture stakeholders.

Source: ICAR–Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (ICAR–CIBA), Chennai