Tags
cameronera, dady cuadrado, how shrimp are harvested, shrimp harvest ecuador, storks, white birds
Life on a Cameronera (Shrimp Farm)
Jama-Manabi-Ecuador – July 2014
The shrimp ponds along Rio Jama are owned by a handful of families, and each one has a modest headquarters where pumps, feed and supplies are stored. Life is usually quiet on these cameroneras; the pumps run when fresh ocean water ebbs upriver each day, and they are quiet when the river is low.
Many times a modest living area is located on the second floor above the bodega. (My house is this type of design.) Having someone watching over the ponds day and night helps protect against theft (yes- thieves sneak in at night and steal shrimp!). The employee also turns the pumps on and keeps an ear tuned for signs of mechanical problems. When the river water levels get low, the pumps are turned off.
Storks clean up the leftovers after a harvest!
The health of the ponds is closely monitored from the time the tiny larvae are delivered to a small nursery pond until the day of harvest. Oxygen levels are important, and sunny conditions produce healthier ponds than cloudy ones. The ponds are deep enough that herons and egrets are not tempted by the shrimp that stay near the bottom. If the birds line the edges, it’s a sign that something’s wrong – perhaps the shrimp need more oxygen, and they’re coming to the surface. Each day an employee paddles across the ponds in a canoe and feeds the shrimp at the feeding stations. (Note sticks in pond below.)
The day before harvest…
A shrimp harvest requires more labor, and the men release the water through an outlet pipe, one board at a time. Starting with the highest board, the water level slowly lowers and more boards are removed. Sensing the change in water level, the shrimp instinctively go to the deepest part of the pond, which is near the outlet pipe. Netting prevents the shrimp from escaping too soon!
Preparing to open the discharge gate, one board at a time…
When most of the water has drained, the men prepare the tube net, which will catch the shrimp as they come through the discharge pipes. Using a system that dates back to Roman times, the men pass the shrimp from net to crate, along an assembly line up the canal bank then into a vat of ice water. Kersplash! 
Shrimp Harvest: CLOSE THE GATES!
A few weeks ago Dady Quadrado invited my friends and me to come watch the harvest. We drove to their ponds and were greeted by lovely Dady. They had just finished harvesting one pond, and the second was about to begin.
Let’s follow Dady!
Always-smiling Dady has a few serious moments; she’s in pay-attention-to-work mode!
We walked to the rear of the harvest truck to say, “Hello” to the very-busy boss:
What a classy boss!
How refreshing it is to see a mother-daughter team totally comfortable in their leadership roles! Dady’s mother, Letty, was gracious and attentive, yet she kept a close eye on all aspects of the harvest. (Dady has two equally-beautiful sisters who often help, but they were out of town.) 
Waiting…
Fresh water is added to the tanks, then ice is transferred from the nearby truck to the tanks. The shrimp are poured into the ice water, and random species are discarded by hand. (Crab, small fish, sometimes small harmless snakes.)
The harvest appeared to be a success.
Here come the shrimp!!!! 
Letty asked us to bring a container for some shrimp, and when she saw the medium-sized container, she asked, ‘Don’t you have something larger?” 
They filled the container and then a grocery bag with enough shrimp to feed a futbol team!
The ice-cold shrimp are transferred in crates to the truck then delivered to the processing plant.
Leaving the lovely ladies to their work, we slowly drove away as I captured a final image of the harvest scene. (Above)
After the harvest, the feathered feast begins!
“Catch of the Day!”
(They call this a chamy fish.)
Letty and Dady invited us to come again. You betcha!
Z
Zeebra Designs & Destinations 
What a delicious outcome for all! Liza, I hope you paint that magnificent congregation of white birds 🙂
drawing that would be an art student’s nightmare!!!
thanks for the suggestion.. a bird series is definitely evolving!
Yes! Good to see the life in your place. And what a harvest.
oh yes, what a harvest! and i love to hang around after everyone has left so that i can harass the birds!
What an exciting process. How often are the shrimp harvested?
the ‘piscinas’ roll about every three or four months.. will get back with a short post about the details, hopefully soon.
z
Great collection of shots, Lisa, and probably the best summary of the process I’ve read anywhere.
I’ve read that Bahia had the world’s first certified organic shrimp farm. Do you know how, if at all, the process at this farm differs from one that is certified organic?
g morning (afternoon) from jama
i am about to leave for bahia w/xavier, and he will be able to answer that question. will be back online in 6 or 8 hours.
thanks!
z
Fascinating! Many thanks for this glimpse into a small part of your interesting life! (What beautiful people!)
yes, they are beautiful, and i’ve requested a full day spent shadowing the entire family of lovely women when they are on the farm… a feature about each one would be fun…
Z, I could eat a few. Thanks for sharing this. I always learn things when I come here. I love the picture toward the end with Letty’s arm around Dady as their oversee the efforts. Take care amiga, BTG
thanks, and i agree – there’s always room for shrimp! one of my favorites is a popular breakfast item ‘tortilla con cameron…’ it’s like sauteed shrimp in onions and peppers then cooked with scrambled eggs stirred very little…
perhaps i’ll order that this morning!
Sounds great. I was also thinking of shrimp and grits, a Charleston favorite. But, sometimes simple is best – put them on a skewer and throw them on the grill.
i can’t remember when i’ve seen grits, though shrimp and quinoa is a pretty good substitute!
and the shrimp were awesome…still jumping when we got them home… I know that sounds kind of gross but talk about fresh!
oh yes! thank you so much for your comment!
there’s nothing like just-caught seafood!
z
A fascinating story and beautiful fotos.
I hope this shrimp farm hasn’t or doesn’t go the way of some in Mexico. There a group of farms used so many chemicals and antibiotics that it basically destroyed the local estuary. And then the shrimp began dying and they put themselves out of business on top of everything.
The once-beautiful area has been left nearly lifeless and it is quite sad. Clearly that doesn’t seem to be the case at the farm you visited and I am so glad!
my friend xavier once said that they use zero chemicals.. ‘if you give them what they need , they don’t get sick…’ fresh water is very important…
i’ll ask more questions today when i’ll be spending a few hours w/a shrimp producer-friend.
thanks!
z
It was fun seeing the process of shrimping the shrimp pond 🙂
you would love to watch the entire process.
still in jama – waiting on my riide, though it’s confirmed and i don’t have to take the bus!
z
Seems like quite a complex process. Wondering how thieves snatch shrimp which apparently like to hang around the bottom of the pond. Maybe they’re content with only a few? Or do they try to drag the pond? Second question–by”fresh” water do they mean letting in more sea water? Don’t quite understand what the pumps are doing in relation to the river water levels. At any rate, it’s a fascinating story and thanks so much for letting us in on the experience!
the shrimp require salt water, not ‘sweet’ water.. the incominmg tides bring salt. the outgoing brings fresh water from the hills. at low tide, the pumps would be pumping mud…
most pond owners feed the shrimp in the mornings, because the shrimp ‘congregate’ to eat the food… iif they are fed late in the afternoon, they will not have scattered by nightfall, when the thieves sneak in and i suppose steal the shrimp using cast nets…
a follow-up post is in order after i’ve asked a few owners those questions!
I was pleasantly surprised to see a female in charge,Lisa. Interesting photo essay and you presumably had fresh shrimp for supper. 🙂
i always love seeing them in their ‘mud garb’ – they look lovely and elegant no matter what they wear!
classy ladies!
yes, we all feasted on shrimp!
I love this post Lisa! What a great operation and bountiful harvest – love the anticipation and then quick action as everybody gets into the flow of shrimping. Fantastic scenes caught with your quick lens and sharp eye.
thanks mary! i never get tired of watching the harvest, and seeing those beautiful birds is a bonus!
I’ll say, the wonderful backlight with the birds too!
What a marvelous experience!
thanks! i’m glad you enjoyed watching the harvest!!! z
Shoot, I would loved to have been on the receiving end of “here, take these!” I love shrimp! 🙂
I would love to be able to see this operation in person. How wonderful that you got this opportunity and were able to enjoy some of the harvest. 🙂
i hope that one day your trail brings you here! we will surely be able to coordinate a shrimp harvest with your visit!
z
I know it will but I am just not sure when. My in-laws health has kept us from venturing too far away for the time being.
Great insight into an operation I knew absolutely nothing about…Thank you, Lisa!
you would love seeing the harvest, the birds, the way the owner and buyer compare notes…
thanks cindy!
As you note, its wonderful to see a very successful mother-daughter team working as the leaders. Well done.
dady wrote today and said that she and her mother had been on the farm today..
drats, i was out of town!
thanks so much.. hopefully there will be a follow-up post soon!
z
What an interesting and informative post and set of photos. So far removed from my life here in England. I must admit that I knew very little of Equador. Your posts are an education to me – many thanks.
it’s my pleasure to help you learn a bit more about life in ecuador. the pacific coast culture and climate is so very different from the cloud forest or the andes… for now i’ll continue writing about the dry rain forest….
thanks so much!
z
With your informative, & interesting posts, I get to travel to Equador, & not even leave my home. Too bad for me, I’d much rather see it in person.
ah, but you’re still basking in the unique memory of your trip ==== lost luggage and all!
thanks amiga!
tomorrow’s post will be about bartering….
z
Yumm, I want some shrimp!! I always laugh when I see the birds I think of as so elegant and above it all…just going along for the EASY food!! Like around your shrimp harvest and hanging out with the fisherman here in Florida. That group of various white egrets is lovely though.
seeing those egrets is an amazing experience.. i’ve grown up seeing the random one here and there, or cattle egrets following a tractor, but to see the ground all but white – that’s amazing!
What a wonderful post Lisa! That photo of the morning of the shrimp harvest is spectacular. Where do they sell the shrimp?
Great post! Loved it!
I was in the country Sunday, and happened to see a farmer on a tractor. I don’t even remember what he was doing — disking, maybe — because I was focused on the hundreds of cattle egrets following along behind, catching bugs.
I am in the mood for shrimp, now. The thought of shrimp “farming” is so foreign. Our season just began, and it’s good to see the boats offshore again. They keep changing the seasons around, so I’m not even certain whether it’s the brown or the white they’re after. All I know is “shrimp”!
I do have a question. In the photo just below the one showing the mass of shrimp and the blue basket, there’s a line of boys passing buckets up a slope. The fellow at the bottom of the line is making a gesture with his hands – like a peace sign, only not. What does that mean? I’ve seen it over and over in photos of young men from Central America/Mexico who have cross the border here illegally, and I’ve wondered about its meaning.
Fascinating. What I find most interesting is that they watch the reaction of the birds so that they can tell if something is not quite right in the pond. Nice to know that there are women jefas, too. What a gorgeous family! Thanks, Lisa. I knew nothing about the shrimping business.
Very interesting! Do you know how long it takes for the shrimp to grow or how many harvests they may be in a month or year?
What a great harvest and wonderful pictures and story…
thank you so much! those ladies are wonderful!
This is a great running commentary of the whole process Lisa and the photos capture the happy spirit of all the team working together.
thank you amiga.. i never get tired of watching the harvests…
Great camaron – and even better people pictures. Wow, those egrets and storks must be happy! Great to see all the smiling faces, and yes, how satisfying to see these two strong, beautiful, hard-working women doing their thing!
i know that the owners of the ponds don{t particularly love the birds, but wow, they are a daily jackpot for birders!
That makes sense! Glad you’re able to get online for comments!
Hi Lisa — I just love how you and I are reporting on our own versions of similar things happening on two sides of the globe. What a delightful story. Thank you so much, Alia
you are definitely in total immersion mode, and wow, don’t we grow in all directions? we become wiser and stronger and more sensitive as well.
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