Shrimp Farming and the Environment - Library

TABLE 7. SOCIAL AND ECONOMICIMPACTS OF SHRIMP POND CONSTRUCTION AND PRODUCTIONAction Impacts ResultsShrimp products are exported Most benefits do not accrue No improvement in local diet,locallyperhaps net protein lossCoastal wetlands are declared“national patrimonies”Excessive collection of postlarvaeand egg-laden femaleshrimpClearing mangrovesConstruction of shrimp ponds informer mangrove areasSource: Clay 1996.Claims outstrip government’scapacity to manage resources oreven ensure that claims arehonoredDeclining shrimp population alongcoastlineBy-catch is reduced (Example:estimated that 10 kg of finfish andshrimp larvae are killed for every1 kg of Penaeus monodon postlarvaecaptured)Loss of natural mangroveproducts (fuel wood, poles, fishand game, etc.)Destruction of shrimp and fishnursery groundsDisplacement of rural coastalcommunities“Flight” of mariculture proteinand earnings to foreign banksLocal communities do notdevelop employment or improveinfrastructureWidespread encroachment onpublic-sector property leads todisplacement of artisanalfishermen and others dependenton fisheries resources, and landuse conflicts ensueLoss of income for fishermenReduction of natural shrimp andfish stocks, massive loss ofrecruitment stocksLoss of income and subsistenceproducts for local populationLower productivity, lack of seedstockLoss of income for those whotraditionally depend onmangrove resourcesImpacts on fisheriesIn many areas where shrimp farms have been constructed, this new activity has created new marketsand opportunities for the local population. However, these new opportunities may be associated withthreats to existing activities, especially traditional fishing.Although hatchery seed supply is the norm in Southeast Asia and use of hatcheries is increasinggenerally, the majority of shrimp farms in the Americas, Bangladesh, and to a lesser extent India, stilldepend on wild-caught post-larvae (PL) for stocking the ponds. Local fishermen capture wild PL innursery grounds and sell them to shrimp farmers. Some shrimp farmers prefer wild-caught PL becausethey believe that they are more resistant to disease, and in general more robust than artificiallyproduced PL (Clay 1996).Special-interest groups have claimed that excessive collection of wild PL can endanger wild shrimpreproduction and lead to a decline in the wild stocks and their associated capture fisheries. The verylocal fishermen who collect wild PL are among those most likely to suffer from such a development.However, scientific evidence of this effect has been not been found, and it appears that little has beendone to document these allegations.Nevertheless, if statistically valid evidence is documented showing that shrimp seed collectors arehaving an adverse impact on biodiversity and fisheries productivity, constraining this activity wouldhave major social implications. For example, in Bangladesh, it is estimated that about 300,000 peoplederive a significant part of their annual incomes from shrimp seed collection. Alternative employment40