Shrimp aquaculture development and the environment: People, mangroves and fisheries on the Gulf of Fonseca, Honduras

Abstract

Beginning in the early 1980s, the Gulf of Fonseca in southern Honduras experienced a boom in aquaculture and became the second largest producer of farm-raised shrimp in the Western Hemisphere. Aquacultural development, however, has been accompanied by concern about: 1. (a) destruction of mangrove forest, 2. (b) depletion of fishing stocks, 3. (c) disappearance of seasonal lagoons, 4. (d) deteriorating water quality. We demonstrate that environmental degradation resulted from a multiplicity of causes including aquaculture, increasing numbers of fishermen, harmful agricultural practices, and poor governmental policies and regulation. We recommend immediate steps that should be taken to protect the natural environment and create a sustainable aquaculture.