Shortly, the The grave environmental consequences of shrimp farming are visible in tropical countries worldwide. Deforestation of the mangrove forests has far-reaching consequences for the marine ecosystem and endangers the life basis of many animal species.

Environmental organizations have therefore been calling for second thoughts in the shrimp farming industry. By ruthless exploitation of the coastline, farmers bereave themselves of their own livelihood in the long term. Just a sustainable use of natural resources can uphold the shrimp industry and, even more important, protect the habitats of utmost environmental significance.

The German association Naturland - Verband für naturgemäßen Landbau e.V. - devised Aquaculture Directives in 1999. Sustainable use of natural resources means for the shrimp farmers to adapt the crab production to the natural life conditions in the mangroves as much as possible.

The mangroves take a crucial position in the food chain. Contrary to the sterile ponds in the industrial shrimp farming, mangroves should grow in the breeding ponds in order to maintain the ecosystem.
Therefore, the Directives stipulate that a minimum of 50 per cent of mangroves that were felled because of farming should be replaced within 5 years. An annual report is to be submitted to Naturland.

The surrounding remainders suffer often from the continuous water exchange in the breeding ponds. The pumped water carries enormous amounts of ammonia, phosphates, pesticides and food rests to the ecosystem, imposing a significant burden on it.
Suitable measures can help significantly reduce pollution of surrounding regions by floating substances. Particularly nutrients that collect as sediments in the breeding ponds can be stopped by a slow and controlled water discharge and be subsequently brought to a suitable utilization.
Before the discharge, water quality is to be monitored continuously.

Planting dams between the ponds, keeping ducks and protecting local animal species helps maintain at least partly the ecosystem on the places of farming.
Many animal species are in a close food relationship to the mangroves. This chain includes also shrimps. The more farming adapts to the natural conditions, the better negative consequences of the monoculture can be reduced.
The occupation rate of the breeding ponds plays a crucial role as well. The Naturland Directives stipulate a maximum of 20 shrimps per one square metre.

Industrial shrimp farming uses shrimp generations growing up in the sea in order to plant new crabs to the breeding ponds after the harvest. Tightly woven nets are needed in order to fish the larvae from the sea. This way, not only the young generation of wild shrimps are caught, but also a number of fish, larvae and other sea inhabitants.
The objective of the Directives is to reduce continuously the exploitation of nature. Natural surrounding of the breeding ponds should contribute to further controlled farming.

Special food encourages the reproduction of the breeding animals. When feeding, a possibly high proportion of food should come from the own production of the ponds (phytoplankton and zooplankton). This way, the usual fish meal proportion of over 50 per cent can be significantly reduced in industrial shrimp farming.

The Directives underline also the social aspects of shrimp farming.
Industrial farming employs only few people for tiny wages. Local fishermen are often refused the access to neighbouring natural waters. Within the IFOAM social standards, Naturland requires wages for the employers that would correspond to the economic situation.
Furthermore, the employers should be trained in the basics of natural aquaculture.

Naturland e.V. plans to publish the Directives for Natural Aquacultures on its website at the end of October, 2002.
You will find a link to the PDF file here.