**8. Conclusion and recommendation**

The presence of Pacific whiteleg shrimp *P. vannamei* in the Philippines has already reached more than five decades, and this raises ecological and social

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growers.

*Ecological and Social Impacts of Aquacultural Introduction to Philippines Waters of Pacific…*

concern. This review paper aimed to evaluate the ecological and social impacts of aquacultural introduction to the Philippines waters of Pacific whiteleg shrimp *P. vannamei*. Several questions were answered and discussed based on literature, scientific details, reflections on personal experience, and their relevance to aquaculture of the *P. vannamei* in the Philippines to evaluate the ecological impacts, while social impacts were discussed based on literature. Findings revealed the escapes of *P. vannamei* from aquaculture production facilities of several countries into non-native waters including the Philippines. The presence of *P. vannamei* in the wild was due to the intentional release in attempts to escape detection during the implementation of a ban on the importation of all live shrimp in the Philippines and also possibly due to escapes from intensive and expanding production cycles as well as natural calamities such as floods. Consequently, the ability of *P. vannamei* escapees to survive the natural environmental conditions due to their tolerance to a wide range of salinity and pH could lead to ecological concerns such as resource competition, reproduction, and spread of disease in the wild. Studies reported that *P. vannamei* could potentially interact with local species through food competition, either by exploitative or interference competition. While there is no evidence that *P. vannamei* can establish population outside of its natural geographic range, natural reproduction of escapees is still possible once released mature adults could find mates in the wild. Thus, if the frequency of escapes is increasing and when they begin to reproduce successfully, the non-native shrimp *P. vannamei* could become a serious threat to native shrimps. The most problematic consequence of *P. vannamei* farming is the spread of the alien pathogen, Taura syndrome virus (TSV), which is rapidly spread due to international trade and now widely distributed in the shrimp-farming regions of the Americas, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. The proliferation of TSV in *P. vannamei* farming has resulted in catastrophic losses and transmission of the disease in the wild wherein crustaceans (other shrimps and crabs) including fish (Asian sea bass) can be infected. In the Philippines, TSV presence in farmed *P. vannamei* was reported for the first time since its introduction in the 1970s. On the other hand, there is no specific information on the social impacts of *P. vannamei* farming; however, the recent expansion of shrimp culture has resulted in social

This review shows the negative implications on the aquacultural introduction of Pacific whiteleg shrimp *P. vannamei* in the Philippines both ecological and social aspects, and this heightens important management issues. Below are recommenda-

1.Strict implementation of the guidelines for the importation and culture of the shrimp based on Fisheries Administrative Order No. 225, Series of 2007. Illegal

2.Strengthen the screening requirements for the importation of all the shrimp stages, accreditation of hatchery, and grow-out facilities to eliminate the spread of TSV and escapees into the natural ecosystem. Monoculture of the shrimp must be one of the critical requirements for grow-out farm accreditation. Accredited hatcheries must only allow selling seedlings to accredited grow-out farm operators and for research purposes to eliminate illegal farming.

3.A collaborative program must be implemented on the nationwide detection and prevalence of TSV by concerned agencies such as DA-BFAR, DOST-PCAARRD, SEAFDEC/AQD, and SCU's in cooperation with private shrimp

tions to ensure sustainable farming of *P. vannamei* in the Philippines:

*P. vannamei* farming must be prohibited.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91775*

conflicts with other resource users.
