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October 14, 2009
Asian black tiger shrimp is caught in Pamlico Sound
By SUSAN WEST 
The shrimp was caught in Pamlico Sound Oct. 1 in a tow made by the trawler, the Capt. Garland. Williams photographed the shrimp before freezing it, and then reported the capture to the state fisheries agency. Reports of black tiger shrimp in North Carolina are still rare, but have increased since the first reported sighting near Gull Rock in Hyde County in 2006. This year fishermen have reported catching eight black tigers, according to Trish Murphey, biologist supervisor at the Division of Marine Fisheries. The identity of five specimens has been confirmed, and Murphey said that, based on descriptions, the others are likely to be confirmed as tigers too. Reported catches in North Carolina last year totaled eight, considerably higher than other South Atlantic and Gulf Coast states with tiger shrimp captures. Catches occurred in Pamlico Sound, Bogue Sound, Lower Cape Fear River, Lower Neuse River, and the Atlantic. How these large shrimp, indigenous to places like Southeast Asia, the Philippines, and Australia, wound up in Pamlico Sound and other U.S. waters remains a mystery. “I have no theories on where they are coming from,” said Murphey. The Non-indigenous Aquatic Species Division of the U.S. Geological Survey Web site states that escapements from aquaculture facilities could explain the presence of tiger shrimp in U.S. waters. In 1988, a facility in Bluffton, S.C., reported an escapement, and nearly 1,000 tigers were later recaptured as far away as Cape Canaveral, Fla. But Murphey said she doesn’t know of any operations that currently raise Penaeus monodons, the scientific name for Asian black tigers. Shrimp farming isn’t popular in the U.S., due to marketplace competition from lower cost, imported shrimp and other factors, and the relatively few farms in this country grow the hardier Pacific white shrimp, not tigers. Some marine biologists believe it is highly unlikely that black tiger shrimp have established a breeding population in U.S. waters. If tiger shrimp were surviving and breeding here, they’d be caught more frequently, they explain. They also point out that tiger shrimp aren’t supposed to survive winter water temperatures like those found in the South Atlantic. Other explanations for tiger shrimp captures include release in ballast water in ships or possibly escapements from shrimp farms in the Caribbean. Scientists have said the impact of tiger shrimp on native shrimp species is unknown, but that the transfer of disease is always a concern when exotic species move outside of their natural habitats. Disease in wild shrimp can be difficult to detect because fish or crabs almost immediately eat weakened or dead shrimp. Asian black tiger shrimp captures should be reported to Trish Murphey at 800-682-2632 or Trish.Murphey@ncdenr.gov. |
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