From Source to Sale: Shrimp Farming and Fishing in India

“The one thing that struck me was actually seeing the quantity of animals being fished and farmed. India is the world’s second largest producer of whiteleg shrimp, producing a whopping 2.2 million metric tons. Reading such numbers just gave me an idea that it’s a lot. But to actually see just a small fraction of that number in reality as I saw boxes and boxes of shrimp and prawns in the processing plants, the farms, the fishing markets, the bycatch – that visual understanding was overwhelming.” ― S. Chakrabarti, animal photojournalist

India’s Shrimp Hatcheries and Aquaculture

According to the Shrimp Welfare Project, an estimated 400 billion shrimp are farmed each year globally – that’s five times the total number of farmed land animals.

Many areas in India have a thriving industry based on shellfish hatcheries. These hatcheries populate aquafarms with nauplii (newly hatched larvae) or postlarvae (young shrimp with adult characteristics), which are then reared to maturity. The nauplii are kept in large cement tanks under artificial light, where water is treated and purified. Juvenile shrimps are measured in scoops: a single scoop contains as many as 2,000 individuals. Once the crustaceans reach maturity, they are caught using nets then transported to aquafarms.

Matlapallem, in Kakinada – a coastal city in Andhra Pradesh – has many aquafarms, processing units and factories to support this growing industry. These farms are built on land that was formerly agricultural land and mangroves. Over the past few decades, many farmers have converted their farmlands into aquafarms as the commercial returns are stronger. Most of these farms rear a mix of shrimp, prawns and fish.

Aquafarm operators use medications to control diseases and hormones to promote growth, which in recent years has led to concern over the use of antibiotics and banned medications; the government has in turn raided these farms and initiated awareness drives to limit their use.

Despite shrimp sentience being recognized by scientists and policymakers, these animals continue to suffer on farms around the world.

“Eyestalk ablation”, which involves the removal of a female shrimp’s eyestalk to increase their egg production and force them to spawn, is still a common practice on many commercial farms, even though numerous studies have proven it to be highly stressful for the animals and recommend against it.

Like other forms of aquaculture, workers on these farms slaughter the shrimp by placing them in dry crates filled with ice. Scientific studies have concluded that ice causes thermal shock, keeping marine animals conscious and sensitive to pain for prolonged periods.

Commercial Fishing and Fish Markets in India

Kakinada is a port city with a major fishing harbour, and the state is the largest fish producing state in India, producing up to 34.5 lakh tonnes (3.45 million tonnes) in 2017. Fishing is a major source of income for those living in the region, with shrimp, prawns and fish comprising Kakinada’s main exports. Total state shrimp export was valued at $2.7 billion in 2021 and accounts for 35% of India’s total shrimp export value, selling to the EU, US, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and farther afield.

Shrimp trawling is responsible for large volumes of bycatch, which puts great strain on marine ecosystems. According to reports, shrimp trawling accounts for more bycatch volume than any other fishery type and remains a big problem, particularly in warmwaters, accounting for approximately 75 percent of all catch. Bycatch can include turtles, sharks, rays, dolphins and whales and other species that can’t be easily sold. These animals typically die during capture, suffocate to death on boats or die shortly after being thrown back into water.

Fishers sift through this bycatch after selling intended catches and typically sell it at local markets or personally consume it. Whatever bycatch remains unused or not fit for consumption is dried and sold in bulk to industries making fish oil, fishmeal and fertilizers. Expensive fish are auctioned, typically to restaurant owners and international exporters.

The women in fishing communities usually work as fishmongers in the village areas and at local markets. Crustaceans that are caught from the sea either directly or salvaged from bycatch are cleaned, deveined and packed by these women to be sold in Kakinada’s local markets and elsewhere within the state.

“With a huge coastline, India has a large number of artisanal and indigenous fishing communities, who have been fishing for generations. But what used to be sustainable because it was done in small numbers for local consumption and keeping in mind natural cycles, has now become a chain of demand and supply. The livelihoods of these communities are completely dependent on fishing. And even though India ranks amongst the top countries in fish and seafood production, the fishers and fishmongers remain lowest in the rung in this industry which generates billions.” ― S. Chakrabarti

These visuals provide a glimpse inside India’s highly-profitable seafood industry. From source to sale, shrimp production is a rapidly growing trade. But with that comes conflicting parallels for local communities, in addition to the inevitable environmental degradation and immense animal suffering involved in an industry so vast in scale.

Data sources: Seafood Watch / Shrimp Welfare Project / Financial Times / The London School of Economics and Political Science / HSUS / India’s Ministry of Fisheries / The Hindu / SeafoodSource