Publication

This paper looks at trends of expansion of shrimp aquaculture in Asia, which supplies some 80 percent of cultured shrimp in global markets. The authors point out that the remarkable growth in production has been facilitated by evolving technologies and expanding pond areas while customary production systems have been systematically replaced by more intensive ones. The paper identifies the principal actors of the shrimp industry at the cultivation, processing, trading and consumption stages and considers the industry’s financial sources. Finally, the authors assess critically the roles played by market forces, institutions, policies and official discourse in the growth of the shrimp industry and its social and environmental impacts.