The Development of the Shrimp Mariculture Industry in Ecuador and Its Impact on the U.S. Market

The demand for tropical shrimp is increasing at a much higher rate than other fish and seafood commodities. With this increase in demand, there has been enormous interest to expand global shrimp production. Mariculture, the term used to describe the practice of farming animal and/or plant life from the sea, has created new opportunities and problems for the future of the global shrimp industry. Since shrimp is considered a high-value food commodity, the development has drawn interest from many United States and European investors. One country in particular, Ecuador, which will be the focus of this discussion, has exemplified many of the positive and negative aspects involved with the growing pains of this industry