Vladivostok scientists succeeding in breeding viable trepang fry

Trepang has been cultured in Vladivostok-led Primorsky Krai since 2003 when in the bay of Kievka PBTF (Preobrazhenie Trawl Fleet Base) in cooperation with TINRO-Centre commissioned a modern module enabling application of latest technologies on trepang culture in artificial environment, said the centre's mariculure laboratory head Ms. Galina Viktorovskaya.

At the first stage the scientists were seeking after optimum regimes of adaptation and stimulation of trepang producers in order to receive the larvae. Along with the above, the scientists also applied stages of biotechnology aimed at receiving live feed for trepang larvae which was fed with micro-seaweed mix during two or three weeks. Besides, the scientists implemented the regime of larvae sedimentation and getting fry at the early stage of development. In the year 2007 they commissioned a new stage focused on getting viable fry which provided for long (up to two months) maintenance and feeding of fry.

At that time the scientists did not have own feeds and they had to use special feeds bought in China. Simultaneously they conducted experiments on development of own feed recipes and now TINRO feeds have already proved their efficiency as the fry has been showing better growth rates. More specifically, the difference between such indices as weight and size of cultured fry has been decreasing greatly, while the growth rates have remained at the same level.

Despite unfavourable weather conditions in 2009 (cold lengthy spring, cool and short summer), TINRO scientists have successfully grown 346,000 viable trepang fry in Zapovednoye. The demand for the fry has come not only from the centre's partner PBTF, but also from mariculture companies which entered into agreements with TINRO-Centre on adaptation of commodity trepang culture technology. Out of the above mentioned fry harvest 40,000 young trepangs have been already stocked at their new residence in the Posjet Bay, at the premises of Nereida and Giperion farms.

The remaining fry has been stocked in cages (not in ground substrates) at the premises of Preobrazhenie Fish Plant, in the bays of Melkovodnaya and Sokolovskaya. When the fry grows bigger and stronger, it will be stocked to the ground. The scientists will be taking care of their charges until their maturity. The commodity trepang culture technology has been tested in the bay of Sukhodol and now it is being adapted to various areas of Peter the Great Bay and Northern Primorye.

Thanks to the scientific research work the region's fishery sector will soon be able to expand commodity trepang culture in particular districts of Primorsky Krai, thus leading to emergence of market supply of legally produced sea ginseng in the foreseeable future.