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Common name - Prawn, king (whiteleg)
Scientific name - Litopenaeus vannamei
Rating
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Farmed
Production method Pond systems, organic certification
Production country SE Asia, Latin America, Madagascar
Production area All
Summary
Organic Certification Standards for prawn set comprehensive standards for production which includes third party auditing and site inspection. The production standards cover hatchery and feed production. Organic standards require that the number of negative environmental impacts associated with prawn farming are addressed in their production standards. In general, issues of environmental concern include: the conversion of ecologically sensitive habitats, such as mangroves, to pond areas; the risk of salinisation of freshwater bodies; discharge of organic matter and nutrients leading to environmental changes; the use of chemicals and therapeutics in production and the potential for disease transfer between farmed and wild prawns. Marine prawns are carnivorous, requiring high protein inclusion on their diet. This is one of the most critical concerns regarding prawn farming, as the supply of fishmeal and fish-oil being used is, in general, not traceable to species level and is not certified sustainable. With organic prawns, there is no dependency on wild capture fisheries for direct use in feeds, as all marine ingredients are sourced from byproducts of human consumption fisheries.
Biology
The king prawn (or whiteleg prawn, white shrimp) belongs to the largest of the prawn and shrimp family, the Penaeidae.It is a native species of the Eastern Pacific coast. Its lifecycle may be divided into 6 stages or phases, from embryo to adult, which it completes in one year. The age of sexual maturity varies from 5 to 7 months. They can live up to 2 years in the wild although farmed prawns are usually harvested at 6 months.
Production Information
Prawn/shrimp are farmed in saline/brackish water ponds of various sizes and intensities in many countries of southeast Asia and Latin America, either in coastal areas or inland within or outside the intertidal zone. Intensive pond farming has a higher stocking density of prawns and requires the use of inputs such as feed and therapeutants, as opposed to traditional extensive systems.
Alternatives
(Based on method of production, fish type, and consumer rating: only fish rated 3 and below are included.)
Read what the consumer pages of the Good Fish Guide say about this species.