Comparing resource utilization in shrimp farming - Part 1: Land

Land use is one of the most important issues in natural resource conservation. There is a two-way concern between conserving natural habitats and having enough arable land to meet current and future food production needs.

The amount of food produced globally has more than tripled since 1950, but the world population has also tripled. Per capita food availability today is actually slightly higher than in the 1950s. However, agricultural land use is only about 10% greater than in 1950. About 38% of the world's land area is used for food production; therefore, if agriculture does not become more intensive, there will not be enough land to supply food for humans and their livestock.

Land Use in Shrimp Farming

The data presented here on land use in shrimp farming were collected from surveys of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) farms in five major farmed shrimp exporting countries. The number of farms included: 101 farms in Ecuador; 89 in India; 1,341 in Indonesia; 34 in Thailand; and 30 in Vietnam.

 Shrimp farming requires land to construct and operate farms. The land required for farms is typically 1.2 to 2.2 times the water surface area of the production ponds. In the survey, the average land-to-water ratio (LWR) ranged from 1.22 in Ecuador to 2.04 in Thailand (Table 1). The average LWR for the five leading shrimp exporting countries was 1.67.

 

		Area (ha/farm)
Country	LWR	Ponds	Reservoirs	Canals		Settling areas	Dikes and other structures
Ecuador	1.24	141	8.76	9.03		11.29	5.6
India	1.33	5.15	0.34	0.2		---	1.15
Indonesia	1.77	2.79	1.08	1.32		0.1	0.65
Thailand	2.04	6.84	3.6	Quick Q&A Frequently asked questions on this topic What does "Comparing resource utilization in shrimp farming - Part 1: Land" cover? Shrimp farming productivity can be significantly increased without needing to expand the production land area for shrimp farms. Which species does this article apply to? Shrimp — Water & Environment Related Products Products linked to this topic shrimpThần Vương Blue PRO GUT Premium digestive probiotics specifically for shrimp farming in lined ponds shrimp Read tom / ca / ocThần Vương Blue MAX 4000 Probiotic for treating toxic gases NH3, H2S, NO2 tom / ca / oc Read allNguyên liệu LALSEA BIOREM Ammonia removal, biological organic treatment, effective at high salinity all Read shrimpThần Vương Blue HERB GUARD Enhance liver function, improve color of hepatopancreas shrimp Read More Reading Related technical articles Protocol•Shrimp•November 22, 2018 THE ROLE OF ELECTROLYTE SUPPLEMENTATION FOR SHRIMP A recent report published in the journal Aquaculture International has provided further insight into the role of electrolyte supplem[...] Read Technical article•Shrimp•April 9, 2026 Global Shrimp Market 2025 Overview — Shrimp Insights Bulletin February 2026 Full-year 2025 global shrimp trade summary: Ecuador leads exports at 1.39M MT (+15%), EU imports surge 21%, US tariff shifts reshape[...] Read Research Insight•Shrimp•February 28, 2026 CHANGES IN GUT MICROBIOTA DUE TO GLOBAL WARMING. REGULATING HOST HEALTH AND DISEASE STATUS IN POIKILOTHERMIC ANIMALS Global warming alters the gut microbiota of Pacific whiteleg shrimp by restructuring enterotypes, increasing the risk of diseases su[...] Read Ask Than Vuong Aquaculture technical assistant Hello there 👋 Describe your pond issue or pick a question below. Two-tone, broken faecal strands?High NO2 — what to do?Weak appetite, slow growthHow to raise alkalinity? Send