Tropical shrimp farming and its sustainability

Abstract

In December 1996, the Supreme Court of India ordered the closure of all semi-intensive and intensive shrimp farms within 500 m of the high tide line, banned shrimp farms from all public lands, and required farms that closed down to compensate their workers with 6 years of wages in a move to protect the environment and prevent the dislocation of local people. If the 1988 collapse of farms across Taiwan provided evidence of the environmental unsustainability of modern shrimp aquaculture, the landmark decision of India's highest court focused attention on its socioeconomic costs.

This chapter briefly describes shrimp farming, discusses its ecological and socioeconomic impacts and recommends measures to achieve long-term sustainability including improved farm management, integrated coastal zone management, mangrove conservation and rehabiUtation, and regulatory mechanisms and policy instruments.