MARINE SHRIMP AQUACULTURE AND NATURAL-RESOURCE DEGRADATION IN THAILAND

Rising demand for shrimp in the developed nations has helped to foster a dramatic growth in marine shrimp aquaculture, particularly in South America and South Asia. In Thailand, marine shrimp aquaculture is now an important earner of foreign exchange. The growth in production has been achieved through the expansion of the culture area and the adopt ion of intensive production methods. The conversion of near-shore area s to shrimp culture, however, is proving to have many consequences tha t impinge on the environmental integrity of coastal areas. This paper reviews the development of Thailand's marine shrimp culture industry a nd examines the nature of the environmental impacts that are emerging. It then. discusses the implications these have for rural poor and the long-term viability of the culture industry.