ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF SHRIMP FARMING WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THESITUATION IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED-STATES

Shrimp culture technology has resulted in development of a major shrim p fanning industry worldwide. Without the shrimp farming industry, inc reasing demands for shrimp by consumers could not be met, resulting in increased pressure on wild shrimp resources. Unfortunately, there are realized and potential adverse environmental effects on estuarine eco systems as a result of shrimp farming. The effects can be categorized as wetland destruction for construction of shrimp farms, hypernutrific ation of estuarine ecosystems by shrimp pond effluent, ''biological po llution'' of native shrimp stocks through escapement of aquaculture st ocks, water use and entrainment of estuarine biota, and impacts of shr imp farm chemicals on estuarine systems. While the shrimp farming indu stry in the United States is small, the United States is effectively a ddressing all the realized and potential environmental impacts through regulation and research at the federal and state levels. Areas of reg ulation and research include stringent prohibitions on wetland destruc tion, regulation of effluents and support of research to eliminate and /or reduce effluents, escapement prevention technology and development of high-health stocks, minimizing entrainment of estuarine biota thro ugh water conservation and screening technology, and regulation of che mical use in the shrimp farming industry and support of research on sh rimp pathology and environmentally safe disease control. Work is still in progress and not all problems have been resolved to the complete s atisfaction of shrimp farmers and estuarine conservationists. However, the situation in the United States should serve as a model of how to encourage sustainable economic development through commercial shrimp f arming while abating adverse environmental impacts on estuarine system s. To further improve the situation, the development and adoption of ' 'best management practices''' for shrimp aquaculture are recommended.