SHRIMP

Modern shrimp aquaculture began to take shape in the 1970s, particularly in Southeast Asia and Latin America, regions that now dominate global production. 

Asia is the epicentre of global shrimp aquaculture, with countries like China, Thailand, Vietnam, and India leading the charge.  

Latin America is another major player in the shrimp aquaculture industry, with countries like Ecuador (the biggest producer in the western hemisphere), Brazil, and Mexico leading production efforts. 

On a small scale, production using recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) is now taking hold in Europe and North America too. 

The most commonly farmed species is the Pacific white leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), but the black tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon) is also popular.  

The success of shrimp aquaculture is closely tied to technological innovations that have improved efficiency, sustainability, and disease management, including genetic selection, feed formulation and improved biosecurity measures. Despite this, shrimp production continues to be troubled by health and welfare issues. 

The industry faces other challenges, too, such as its impact on the coastal environment, the fact that it requires large amounts of water and social and human rights issues in some parts of the world. 

The future of shrimp aquaculture looks promising, however, with continued growth expected in both established and emerging markets.