8.1 Marketing your freshwater prawns alive

Marketing prawns alive will usually generate a better price for you but, of course, increas es your costs. Marketing them successfully in this way depends on your ability to keep them alive during transport and display, and to present undamaged, healthy prawns in an attractive way. Good survival of adult freshwater prawns can be achieved during journeys of up to at least 24 hours at a density of 600 g/L with good aeration, without any visible deterioration in their quality.

It is best to transport the prawns on shelves stacked verti cally within the water column; this helps to avoid mortalities caused by crowding, as well as maintaining better localised water quality. Cool transport (20-22°C) minimizes water quality problems and reduces the activity of the prawns, thus lessening the likelihood that there will be injuries due to combat. The use of hard water tends to stabilize the pH, thus reducing the toxicity of any ammonia that builds up during transport.

Once the prawns arrive at the point of sale (e.g. restaurant, market) they can be maintained fairly densely packed in aquariums with a good biofilter. In some places, spe cialist firms collect live prawns from various farms, using small pickups with tanks and aeration devices. They may also buy, at a lower price, fresh (chilled) prawns. Another alter native is for you to join with other farmers to form a cooperative for this purpose. The key to success is to adapt to the needs of the local market in order to secure the highest income. In some places, small prawns can be sold as bait to fishermen; in others there is a recre ational fee fishing (angling) market for live prawns themselves. In yet others there is an opportunity to sell live animals for home aquaria and for instructional use in schools. Caution must be used in areas where Macrobrachium rosenbergii is not indigenous, how ever, to ensure that they do not escape and endanger local fauna.