Since 2015, global farmed shrimp production increased from three million metric tons (MMT) to approximately five MMT. This is largely driven by Ecuador and India, where lower density production systems prevail. Ecuador has surpassed the elusive one MMT mark in 2021, the only country that achieved the feat in over a decade. Sustainability of such growth can be questionable as it happened within the existing production systems highly vulnerable to externalities and subjected to frequent disease outbreaks. The overall growth in Asia is far more modest compared to that of Ecuador with less room for improvement of the existing farming systems. In recent years, there is a global shift from extensive outdoor to intensive or super-intensive indoor farming. A trend towards more environmentally controlled systems. These systems may include bio-floc, raceways, or recirculating aquaculture (RAS) systems or a modular hybrid system. Artificial intelligence (AI) is also increasingly playing a crucial role in disease prevention, water quality, and feeding monitoring and management.
In closed systems, the feed and feeding should also consider balancing the ecosystem to maintain suitable environment for cultured animal. The feed needs to be of good physical and nutritional quality to support fast growing and healthy animals, while maintaining an optimum water quality. For example, for a stable bio-floc system, the preferred C:N ratio is 12:1 requiring focus on indigestible content when formulating a bio-floc diet. Similarly, RAS feeds should also meet several criteria. They should be balanced with essential nutrients, highly digestible, and of excellent physical quality.
This paper focuses on technological advances in shrimp farming systems, novel interventions for improved management, criteria to consider when formulating the feed, as well as feeding management.