Shrimp Mariculture: Positive Aspects and State of the Art,

Abstract : The emergence of shrimp mariculture as a new agricultural crop in the United States will occur during the next five years. Shrimp culture will not only provide food for human consumption and bait for the recreational fishery, but also there is the possibility of providing seedstock to supplement natural shrimp populations. The price of shrimp is high with shrimp representing the most valuable of the United States' fisheries. At this time, investment in shrimp mariculture has higher risk associated with it than other, more established industries. Several reasons for this increased risk are: limited technology, the conversion from a research and development phase to a commercial phase, and the absence of established commercial ventures. Adding to the risk is the large initial capital outlay for construction of ponds to establish a commercial size operation.