Abstract

MARTINEZ-CORDOVA, Luis R.; MARTINEZ PORCHAS, Marcel  and  CORTES-JACINTO, Edilmar. Mexican and world shrimp aquaculture: sustainable activity or contaminant industry?. Rev. Int. Contam. Ambient [online]. 2009, vol.25, n.3, pp.181-196. ISSN 0188-4999.

The present document offers an overview of Mexican shrimp culture in a global context, including its importance, industry development, successes and failures, and alternatives to achieve sustainability. Aquaculture is currently the worldwide agro-industrial activity with the largest growth rate, with a global volume over 60 million tones and an economic value of 15 billion USD, which contributes with more than 40 % to the production of aquatic organisms. Herein, shrimp culture has shown the most explosive development in México as in the rest of the world. Asia is the region with the largest development in the culture of most of the species, being China, the leader country in this activity. Nevertheless, in growth terms, some Latin American countries including México have been positioned in the world scenario. Mexican shrimp culture grew around 17 % in only two years and is expected a maintained growth during the next 10 years. The most important blunders of the activity are those related to the epizooties and environmental impacts over the neighboring ecosystems. Some alternatives have been applied to minimize or buffer these problems. The document concludes that shrimp culture can be a sustainable activity if it is managed with the advising of scientists and technological development experts, and that during the growth and expansion process of this activity it is necessary to take into account not only economical benefits, but primarily the involved ecological aspects.

Keywords : environmental impact; shrimp culture; soil pollution; sustainable aquaculture; water pollution.

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