Shrimp farming in Latin America is presented as one of the most important forms of aquaculture production. The following article reviews the role of Latin American countries in the cultivation of this species.

In the aquaculture sector, shrimp farming is the activity with the highest profits above any other production of marine species. China is the largest producer of shrimp (with a high percentage of local consumption) and Thailand the largest exporter. On the other hand, Nordic countries and Canada are the largest importers.

In general, the shrimp farming process goes through the following phases:

1. Nauplius: at the laboratory, the egg hatches and, the nauplius comes out; it feeds on phytoplankton; later its maturation occurs and passes to larval stages.
2. Larvae: they have different stages of evolution, which occur in the tanks where they are fed.
3. Raw shrimp: in culture tanks, the larvae continue their development, until they reach stages where their appearance is similar to that of adult shrimp. It is also called the fattening phase.
4. Processed shrimp: when the shrimp reaches its ideal size, it is processed to be consumed.

Shrimp is a decapod crustacean, which can inhabit both fresh and salty waters. It can live either in tropical or cold regions, supporting a temperature range between -2.03 and 29.16 ºCelsius. The shrimp lives in shallow rocky and sandy areas with an abundance of algae. It is an animal with good nutritional qualities, providing us with Vitamin B3, B12 and E. Regarding the minerals the shrimp contains: potassium, phosphorus, sodium, iodine, and calcium.

Next, we will review the productive panorama of shrimp of some Latin American countries:

Ecuador

In Ecuador, shrimp farming represents the largest export sector after oil, thus demonstrating the great importance it has for the economy of that country. In fact, of the entire aquaculture sector, shrimp farming represents the 90%. Shrimp production began in the late 1960s and has been growing exponentially since then. It is an industry that has remained strong, despite it suffered some outbreaks at the end of the previous century due to the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), which affected the production.

As regard of the farms dedicated to shrimp production, most are located in the coastal zone of Ecuador; they operate with semi-intensive densities. The aquatic environment is fertilized, and prawns are fed with formulated diets, generating low environmental impact. By 2017 Ecuador managed to export 246,000 tons of shrimp, representing the majority of the production in Latin America.

Furthermore, in the Ecuadorian country the National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA) was created to bring together in a single institution all the management of aquaculture production. This entity and the producers will have to face some problems generated by its high export demand of shrimp, taking into account that it is a country with a limited coastal area.

Some tools that can help overcome them are:

• Improve the conditions of the population density of shrimp farming
• Implement technologies that improve the efficiency of the systems
• Develop environmental sustainability policies.
• Promote technical and technological assistance for small and medium producers at the national level.
• Improve roads that connect farms and cities.
• Invest in shrimp farming research.

Therefore, Ecuador is one of the strongest countries in the region in shrimp farming.

Mexico

Mexican shrimp farming dates back to the 1960s. Its shrimp production was such that it was the largest exporter to the United States in the 1970s. The areas with the highest production are Sinaloa, Sonora, and Nayarit. In figure 2, published on the Mexican Government website, are observed the coastal zones where shrimp animal production is currently practiced. Today, Mexican shrimp production represents 3.2% of world production and 20% of production on the American continent.

Regarding its production, Mexico increased between 2017 and 2018 by 6.8%, reaching 165,000 tons of shrimp. It has remained stable in the last five years (in 2015 it produced 168,000 tons); in this same year, shrimp farming accounted for 56% of Mexico’s fish production. Furthermore, per capita consumption was calculated at 1.1 kg, mainly in large cities such as Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.

Now, it is known that the Mexican country has been affected by virus outbreaks in shrimp, thus strongly reduced their exports. Its strengths include its key geographical location, being a neighboring country of the United States, a leading importer of shrimp. Besides that, Mexico has a large coastal area that offers the possibility of having a powerful production.

Brazil

Shrimp production in Brazil began with an important event in 1995 when the species Litopenaeus vannamei (called Pacific White Shrimp) was introduced. As consequence, the tons of shrimp produced grew exponentially. Evidence of this is that said production in 1997 was 1015 Kg/Ha/year and in 2003 it became 6094 Kg/Ha/year. Within the total aquaculture production of the country, crustaceans (shrimp) occupy 32.4%. In fact, in 2014 some 90,000 Tons of Litopenaeus vannamei were cultivated.

Regarding shrimp exports, it is reported that Brazil increased its volume by 1423% between 1997 and 2003. The main destination country for these exports was the United States. Furthermore, it is recognized that this aquaculture industry generates more jobs than the fruit sector; This is very important because it is a source of employment for unskilled people, providing them with a job opportunity and contributing to the development of the country.

On the other hand, most of the shrimp farms in Brazil are located in coastal areas. Regarding their size, small-scale ones occupy 75% of the national production. The medium-scale farm follows with 9.6% and lastly the large-scale farm with 5.5%. Furthermore, they usually use a population density of 20 prawns per square meter (20 prawns/m2) obtaining good returns in terms of faster growth, efficient feed conversion rates, lower costs, and less environmental impact.

Finally, the importance of shrimp farming in Brazil is so important that the Brazilian Association of Shrimp Breeders (ABCC) was created. It ensures the rights, policies, and development of this aquaculture industry. Moreover, the sector has a great academic organization, generating events in the aquaculture sector such as the XVII FENACAM (You can see more about this event here: http://www.fenacam.com.br)

Colombia

In Colombia, shrimp production is mainly concentrated on its Atlantic coast. Shrimp farming suffered some difficulties in this country, for example, in the 1990s when facing diseases such as Taura Syndrome and the White Spot virus. On the other hand, the departments that present almost all the country’s production are Bolívar, Atlántico, and Sucre.

Regarding the consumption of shrimp per capita, which is 200 grams per year, it is considered too low. Of these, only 26 grams are produced in the same country, which demonstrates the low participation of the sector in Colombian food. It is a problem that must seek solutions and implement new forms of gastronomy that include shrimp in their menus.

In 2007 it had an important peak of production when it generated 22,000 metric tons of shrimp. However, it declined due to the devaluation of the Colombian peso COP against the dollar, generating serious economic losses. Nevertheless, the country’s experts recognize that Colombia has great potential for shrimp farming. Proof of this is that the country is free from shrimp diseases. On the other hand, some 5.5 million hectares have been classified as highly suitable for developing this aquaculture industry.

The environmental problem of overfishing is also latent in Colombia. For this reason, it is well received that, of all the country’s fishing production, aquaculture as a form of production occupies 51% at the national level, according to 2013 data. The Colombian institution in charge of developing studies and promoting shrimp farming is the Center for Aquaculture Research in Colombia (Ceniacua).

Cuba

In Cuba, the farms dedicated to shrimp farming, are located in Sancti Spíritus, Camagüey, Las Tunas, Holguín, and Granma; meanwhile, the Laboratory is located in Cienfuegos. The main form of animal production is semi-intensive. Shrimp production is in charge of the government. The country has the National Company for the Development of Shrimp (EDECAM). In Cuba, in addition to the Pacific white shrimp (L. vannameii), the white shrimp (Litopenaeus schmitti), and the pink shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) are also produced.

Conclusions

Shrimp production is a great opportunity for the countries of the southern cone of America. It is emerging as one of the best sources of protein of animal origin in the coming year’s thanks to its productive advantages. Latin American countries have very different production scenarios. For this reason, each country must strengthen its research institutions, to generate solutions to the multiple problems that afflict them. If the Latin American countries achieve this, they will be able to enter the world shrimp market with force.

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