Farm-raised shrimp are grown in controlled conditions and account for up to 90% of shrimp consumed in the US. However, there are ethical and health concerns with mass-produced shrimp, including the destruction of mangrove forests and the use of antibiotics and PCBs. Some companies are developing sustainable practices for growing shrimp without harming the environment.
Farm-raised shrimp are shrimp that are grown under controlled conditions rather than sea-derived shrimp. Up to 90 percent of shrimp consumed in the United States comes from foreign shrimp farms. Shrimp farms are found in coastal waters around the world. A pond as small as an acre (about 4047 square meters) can hold 170,000 shrimp. While producing shrimp this way has increased their availability and lowered their price, there are both ethical and health concerns with these mass-produced shrimp.
Shrimp farms are built along saltwater estuaries and shorelines. These locations provide easy access to salt water, the natural environment for shrimp. The shallow nature of these locations also makes it easy to catch crawfish when it’s time to harvest. Unfortunately, the best locations for farm-raised shrimp are also the best locations for mangrove forests. Many of the world’s mangrove forests have been uprooted to make way for shrimp farms.
Shrimp farm sizes can range from small, low-tech businesses run by one family to large industrial operations using the latest technology and employing hundreds of workers. Some shrimp farms specialize in only one stage of shrimp life, such as newborn shrimp, which serves as a supplier to other shrimp farms. Other farms keep shrimp in all their stages and grow shrimp from egg to harvest size.
Sometimes, farm-raised prawns are grown in crowded and unsanitary conditions. This leads to a high mortality rate of the crayfish and frequent disease outbreaks. To combat this, crayfish pools are sometimes treated with antibiotics. Shrimps retain the antibiotics and pass them on to the consumer. Many people find it unhealthy to be exposed to unnecessary antibiotics and oppose this practice.
An antibiotic commonly used in shrimp farming, chloramphenic, has been banned in the United States. Some countries, however, allow its use and it is still found in some shrimp companies. Farm-raised shrimp can also contain high levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), a known carcinogen. Shrimps become contaminated by commercial shrimp food containing the chemical.
The health concerns of consuming farm-raised shrimp, coupled with the environmental impacts of the shrimp farming industry, have led several companies to develop better techniques for growing shrimp. These companies raise shrimp using sustainable practices without harming the environment. Their farm-raised prawns are not treated with antibiotics or other harmful medicines. Organic prawns are frozen at harvest and contain no preservatives.
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