November 13, 2006

Shrimp partnership wins World Bank's green award

A United Nations-backed partnership, meant as a model for responsible shrimp farm management, has won the World Bank's 2006 Green Award, highlighting the increasing public concern over the impact of shrimp farms on the environment.

With shrimp farming often criticized for its negative effects on the environment, the Consortium on Shrimp Farming and the Environment produced the International Principles for Responsible Shrimp Farming to guide the design and location of farms, the use of feed, and the social impacts of aquaculture on local communities, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization said.

The consortium, composed of FAO, the UN Environment Programme, the World Bank, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Network for Aquaculture Centres for Asia Pacific, was formed in 1999 to investigate key issues and make recommendations on better management practices.

The shrimp export market is worth US$11 billion internationally, with developing countries producing 99 per cent of the world's farmed shrimp.

The annual Green Award is given to projects that help developing countries limit the impacts of their programmes and encourage environmentally sustainable development.