Climatic events and disease occurrence in intensive Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp farming in the Mekong area of Vietnam

Abstract

As recurrent disease outbreaks impart economic adversity across the global shrimp farming sector in general, and in Asia in particular, clarifying determinants of outbreak susceptibility carries significance for sustainability in economic growth and social and environmental prospects. This study employs logistic regression to assess the probability of disease occurrence in intensive white leg shrimp (WLS) (Litopenaeus vannamei) aquaculture under the impact of explanatory factors grouped in (1) farmers' perceptions of climatic events, (2) adaptation measures (3) farmer biodata, (4) farm site characteristics, (5) biosecurity measures, and (6) culture method. The analysis was performed using a survey of 267 Vietnamese small-scale intensive shrimp farms in the Mekong region. Significant contributors to lowering the chance of shrimp disease occurrence include (1) regularly carrying out feed conversion ratio calculations, (2) increasing participation in training programs and extension services, (3) implementing adaptive measures related to changes in feeding schedules, and (4) increasing stocking density. The main risk factors increasing the chance of shrimp disease are the duration of the crop and more years in operation. This quantitative evidence contributes to identifying important focal points for policymakers and intensive shrimp farmers in monitoring and managing the shrimp industry under the potential impacts of climate change.