Standards for Responsible Shrimp Aquaculture

The Shrimp Aquaculture Dialogue (ShAD) has developed a comprehensive set of standards for responsible shrimp farming, organized into seven principles covering legal compliance, biodiversity conservation, community relations, labor practices, shrimp health, broodstock management, and resource efficiency. The standards emphasize performance-based benchmarks over prescriptive methods, requiring tools like Biodiversity-inclusive Environmental Impact Assessments (BEIA) and participatory Social Impact Assessments (p-SIA). Key environmental targets include the prohibition of farms in protected areas, a requirement to reforest 50% of affected mangrove areas for farms sited before May 1999, and strict limits on nitrogen and phosphorus effluent. Social standards align with ILO core principles, mandating a minimum employee age of 15 and fair wages based on national minimums or 50% of median country income. The document also outlines a transition toward 100% certified sustainable feed ingredients and the prohibition of transgenic shrimp.

• Farms must comply with all applicable national and local laws as a baseline for certification, and operational permits must be made publicly available.
• For ponds built or permitted before May 1999 in mangrove ecosystems or natural wetlands, farmers are required to rehabilitate 50 percent of the affected area as compensation.
• The standards mandate the use of Biodiversity-inclusive Environmental Impact Assessments (BEIA) and participatory Social Impact Assessments (p-SIA) to identify and mitigate ecological and community risks.
• Labor standards are based on ILO core principles, prohibiting forced and child labor; the minimum age for employees is set at 15 years, though the GSC is debating raising this to 18.
• Fair wages are defined as the highest of either the legal minimum wage or 50% of the median income in the country, adjusted for average household size.
• To prevent disease, the standards require a health plan, the use of SPF (Specific Pathogen Free) or SPR (Specific Pathogen Resistant) post larvae where commercially available, and minimum dissolved oxygen levels of 3ppm in aerated ponds.
• The culture of transgenic shrimp, including offspring of genetically engineered shrimp, is strictly prohibited based on the precautionary principle.
• Feed ingredients from the Amazon Biome are prohibited, and there is a five-year target for 100% of soy and a three-year target for 100% of palm oil to be certified by ISEAL-member schemes.
• The use of Genetically Modified (GM) feed ingredients is allowed provided there is full disclosure to buyers and a mandatory claim on the label, with a price feasibility allowance if non-GM inputs cost 20% more.
• Effluent standards limit nitrogen release to <53 kg/tonne for L. vannamei and <97 kg/tonne for P. monodon, and phosphorus to <14 kg/tonne and <29 kg/tonne respectively.
• The standards prohibit the intentional lethal control of any species listed as protected, threatened, or endangered by the IUCN Red List or national listing processes.

APA

WWF International (2010). Standards for Responsible Shrimp Aquaculture. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/857/6gjzymg4ux_ShAD_Standard_Second_Draft.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Standards for Responsible Shrimp Aquaculture. 2010. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/857/6gjzymg4ux_ShAD_Standard_Second_Draft.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Standards for Responsible Shrimp Aquaculture |date=1 December 2010 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/857/6gjzymg4ux_ShAD_Standard_Second_Draft.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2010standards, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Standards for Responsible Shrimp Aquaculture}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2010}, month = dec, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/857/6gjzymg4ux_ShAD_Standard_Second_Draft.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }