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 ShrimpThan Vuong Blue PRO GUT Premium digestive probiotics specifically for shrimp farming in lined ponds Shrimp Read tom / ca / ocThan Vuong Blue MAX 4000 Probiotic that helps reduce the toxic gases NH3, H2S and NO2 tom / ca / oc Read ShrimpThan Vuong Blue HERB GUARD Enhance liver function, improve color of hepatopancreas Shrimp Read More Reading Related technical articles 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 Protocol•Shrimp•February 23, 2026 Minimizing Risks Lies in a Systems Management Approach In modern shrimp farming, there's a rather "painful" reality that many farmers still haven't accepted: Risk mitigation doesn't lie i[...] Read Protocol•Shrimp•January 29, 2026 TREATMENT PROTOCOL FOR YELLOW MOUTH DISEASE IN WHITELEG SHRIMP Yellow mouth disease (often accompanied by yellow gills) is an indication that the pond environment is at low salinity (5ppt) or exp[...] 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