Shrimp aquaculture: economic perspectives for policy development

The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of shrimp aquaculture from the perspectives of economics. It is offered as a contribution to the on-going policy debate on this globally important industry. The paper is o rganised into four sections: the benefits of shrimp aquaculture, the proble ms of shrimp aquaculture, economic development perspectives on shrimp aquac ulture, and conclusions. Four main conclusions are drawn: there is a lack o f independent analysis of the factors affecting the production strategies o f private firms in the shrimp industry; there is a need to overcome polaris ation in order to promote sustainable shrimp aquaculture; wider perspective s on shrimp aquaculture will be beneficial to policy formation; and it is i n the long-run self-interest of shrimp producers to incorporate the externa l costs of production into planning decisions. The paper includes a review of the international literature which provides a valuable resource for poli cy-makers. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.