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The Ecuadorian aquaculture industry is the largest in the Western Hemisphere
(approximately 115,000 tons, live weight, last year). Although several Asian
countries produce significantly more seafood than Ecuador by volume, Ecuador's
well managed aquaculture practices should result in better long-term prosperity.
And with shrimp exports expected to hit $800 million this year- up nearly
30% from 96- the business is proving more profitable than ever. Marine fish
aquaculture is developing rapidly in Ecuador, and other Latin American countries
are beginning to follow this trend. Daniel D. Benetti, 12/,95 |
Crayfish
Crayfish was introduced to Ecuador in 1994 and spectacular growth rates
have been achieved. (Rouse DB, 1994) Currently there
are more than 250 hectares of ponds in the vicinity of Guayas province alone,
and new farms are being built. In the near future, Ecuador could become
the leading producer of crayfish.
Shrimp
Ecuador is poised to surpass Thailand as the top exporter of shrimp to the
U.S. market. A record 140.5 million pounds of shrimp exported to the United
States last year represented a monstrous 30 percent increase for Ecuador
over 1996 totals. (Dan McGovern, 6/,98) Since 1994,
shrimp exports to Asia have almost quadrupled; at the same time, shipments
to Latin American countries are starting to increase. Rob
Lovitt, 12/,97) If the current trend continues, Ecuador will produce
125,000 tons of shrimp this year (live weight) and export more than 95,000
tons of finished product (by June, exports were up 13.5%). The recent explosion
in new markets will absorb any increases in production, thus keeping prices
high.
The construction of shrimp farms in the Bahia de Caraquez region of Ecuador
has resulted in the destruction of 95% of the mangroves in the area (Clay JW, 1997 http://brooktrout.g...edu/ICmangclay.html) |
El Nino Report-
El nino had a large scale impact on Ecuador earlier this spring. Tremendous
amounts of rain fell on Ecuador. The torrential rains caused extensive flooding
along the coastline and destroyed much of the aquaculture infrastructure.
Processing at shrimp farms was reportedly disrupted because of difficulty
transporting product from pond to plant. An overabundance of rain can also
reduce salinity levels in shrimp ponds to dangerous levels, negatively impacting
the quality of shrimp. (Dan McGovern, 6/,98)
Damages from El Nino are estimated at $60 million.
La Nina Report-
Ecuadorian
shrimp farmers are preparing themselfs for La Nina. La Nina is expected
to drop the surface temperature and delay the development of shrimp from
3 to 5 months. This system has the opposite effect of El Nino which caused
an above average rain fall.
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