King prawn

Supplementary feed is used in intensive and semi-intensive systems in India, Vietnam and Indonesia, however there is little transparency on the ingredients used and no requirements for responsible feed sourcing.King prawns farmed in intensive and semi-intensive systems in Asia are provided with supplementary feed, as is typical of production systems that use stocking densities higher than those occurring in nature.The sector provides little transparency with regard to the marine and terrestrial ingredients used in feed and there are no requirements for responsible sourcing. Feeds are often traceable to a feed manufacturer, however there are no policies in place to ensure its responsible sourcing.The Feed Fish Dependency Ratio, which determines the quantity of wild fish needed to produce the same quantity of farmed fish differs slightly for each country but on average, it is below 1. This means that less fish protein is required in the diet they produce, making them a fish producer rather than a fish consumer.No novel or alternative feed ingredients are widely used in these feeds currently.

Semi-intensive and intensive farming of King prawns in India, Vietnam and Indonesia has a negative impact on the environment.One of the main issues of environmental concern is the use of illegal chemicals, including antibiotics. Many shipments have been rejected by importers due to the detection of illegal chemical residues. In addition, prawn farming contributes to soil salinity, which has a damaging effect on soil composition and negatively impacts livelihoods and food security. Discharges of waste into the environment also occur but the environmental impacts are thought to generally be moderate.While prawn farming has historically been responsible for large-scale mangrove removal, this destructive practice has greatly diminished as awareness of its detrimental impacts has grown. Evidence suggests that the impacts of prawn aquaculture on mangrove ecosystems are on the decline. Prawns are also susceptible to an array of diseases, particularly viral pathogens but it is notable that direct environmental impacts have not been commonly observed.Although King prawns are not native to Asia, and escapes inevitably occur, there is no documented evidence of this species becoming established in the wild in this region. Hatchery production of this species is also technically advanced, and the industry rely entirely on domesticated stocks.While non-lethal predatory controls would appear to be the norm within the sector, a precautionary approach has been applied in assessing this aspect of production due to data deficiency.

Due to data deficiency on this topic, a precautionary score has been given.It is unknown if there are welfare regulations in place for farmed prawns in India, Vietnam and Indonesia. It is common practice to use immersion in an ice slurry to kill prawns, but it is unknown if this is the method that is always used in these countries.

For uncertified King prawns produced in India, Vietnam and Indonesia regulations are in place but are only partially effective in mitigating the negative environmental impacts from aquaculture.This assessment covers uncertified intensive and semi-intensive king prawn production in India, Vietnam, and Indonesia.Management and regulation in India, Vietnam and Indonesia cover the use of land and water resources, discharges including effluents and their impacts and species introduction. However, it only partially addresses the identification and protection of vulnerable habitats and species and biosecurity and disease management. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is only partially addressed as the smaller farms, which make up the bulk of the farms, are exempt. Current legislation on the use of chemicals (including licensing) is ambiguous and does not adequately address the aquaculture sector.Overall, although there are a multitude of legislative instruments in place to govern the aquaculture sectors in India, Vietnam and Indonesia, these can only be said to be partially effective in minimizing negative environmental impacts – and in some instances there is evidence that these regulations are ineffective.