The natural Silvofishery® pond plants are located directly in the mangrove forest or in the separate system on an enclosed by dikes area of the farm.

The shrimps are kept in natural ponds in extent from 250 to 800 m or more or less narrow channels 3-4 m and grown to harvest.

Ponds
The ponds can be directly in the mangrove forest, called the mixed system, or outside, also called separate system, depending of the available space. In both cases, the ponds are separated by dikes and embankments.

In mixed Silvofishery system, the dikes are covered with mangroves and so correspond most closely to the natural ecosystem of the mangrove forest.

In separate Silvofishery system, the ponds are located along natural waterways, usually in the front area of the farm, while the mangroves thrive in a separate area in the rear, a part of the farm.

The natural ponds are usually very flat with a water depth of 30 cm to 1 m. By one or several locks with access to the channels, the ponds are flooded on a regular basis to enable the exchange of water. In addition to dams from occurring on-site soil and wooden sluice gates of approximately 1 m width, more modern locks installations are installed.

Harvesting and Yield
The entire traditional aquaculture in Silvofishery system is based on the annual and seasonal cycles of nature. So neither a production on an industrial scale yet income in the amount of animal factories.

These shrimp aquacultures, depending of the stocking and harvesting times on the lunar calendar, without additional feeding and no pump to circulate water or chemical treatment of the ponds, is operated traditionally in the province of Ca Mau Vietnam for a long time.

In addition to various shrimp species (Peneides) also the Blacktiger Prawns (Penaeus monodon) is drawn up. This may be valuable, because of the rapid growth (to harvest it takes 4 to 6 months), as profitable.

Since the very extensive stocking density of only 1-2 animals per m2, however, the production quantity is small by comparison.

The small farmer families must therefore make do with an annual income of an average of 286 kg per hectare.

Larval rearing
In addition to the grow up of black tiger shrimp also some farmers breed larvae obtained from eggs of the own farm. A typical example of sustainability of producing from the larva to the harvestable shrimp.

Some farmers win on their own farms eggs of selected parents. These eggs are hatched under controlled conditions to obtain it for their own larvae breeding.

A simple example of sustainable and integrated production on a farm. Just as simple as it gets. The larvae go through several stages until the stocking oft he juvenile shrimps enables.

This takes time, the larvae need constant care, and the risk, even in compliance with all GMP measures to lose a large part is one of the major uncertainties in aquaculture.

The breeding of larvae is therefore only in well-managed businesses crowned with success, because the failure, due to many external influences (such as weather and monsoon) or internal factors (such as quality and care), the production from larvae to the operational Prawns could be relatively high.