One of the World’s Leading Shrimp Producers: Ecuador

Ecuador is one of the world’s leading shrimp producers, and its production continues to grow each year.

Yes, you may not have known, but Ecuador is one of the primary shrimp producers globally, being the first country to produce one million tons of shrimp.

This information is featured in the specialized magazine Aquaculture. The magazine’s ranking details that Ecuador leads the list of the largest shrimp producers in 2021.

Ecuador dominates the market, surpassing major producers like China, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and the United States.

Since the early days of the industry in the 1960s, shrimp has become a key player in the country’s economy.

It currently contributes to approximately 280,000 direct and indirect jobs, according to the National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA).

At the same time, the industry has transformed coastal regions and mangroves while also attracting dangerous pirates and armed criminals.

Although shrimp naturally inhabit Ecuador’s coastline, they are scarcely caught in open waters, and almost all production is industrial.

The process begins in a laboratory, where selected male and female breeders with optimal genetic conditions produce millions of larvae.

When these larvae grow, they are raised in nurseries and then placed in ponds or “pools” in mangrove areas or on solid ground, as is the case with the Castro farm.

To prevent shrimp from dying due to a lack of oxygen, a system of pumping stations and gates circulates water between the ponds and rivers or the sea.

The shrimp are fed with a mixture of soy, fishmeal, and other nutrients called “feed.”

The cultivation typically lasts for 3 to 4 months until they reach the desired weight, usually around 20 to 30 grams. They are then harvested using nets.

In 2014, Ecuadorian shrimp reached a peak price of $3.75 per pound in the international market, the highest to date. In the following years, prices dropped, and currently, they stand at around $3.10.

World’s Leading Shrimp Producers: Pink gold

Ecuador is one of the world’s leading shrimp producers, and its industry is so significant that it is often referred to as “pink gold.”

In 2022, petroleum was the country’s primary asset, accounting for 35.5% of total exports, according to the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment, and Fisheries.

Shrimp took the second place, with 23.6%, solidifying itself as the largest non-oil export. One out of every five shrimp circulating in global markets originates from Ecuador.

The country pioneered the shrimp industry in the 1960s due to favorable conditions, including a tropical climate with high temperatures and humidity, as well as high-quality waters thanks to extensive mangroves acting as natural filters.

Additionally, many native species reproduce rapidly.

From the industry’s beginnings, most of Ecuador’s seafood was directed towards the Western market. However, this changed over time. Until 2014, Ecuador exported 60% of its shrimp to Europe and the United States.

But since then, China has started to demand more shrimp from Ecuador. Out of every 100 shrimp purchased by China last year, 70 came from Ecuador, and 18 came from India, according to CNA data.

With shrimp alone, Ecuador was the country that sold the most seafood to China in 2022, totaling $3.582 billion, surpassing Russia’s $2.750 billion, a neighboring and significantly larger country.

The Ecuadorian shrimp industry occupies 233,000 hectares or 2,330 square kilometers, an area equivalent to six times the city of Quito.

More than a quarter of it operates in marine and riverine areas, where the mangrove forests are considered the lungs of the regional ecosystem.

Also read: Mexico’s Exports Increased in August: Fourth Consecutive Month