Debabrata Khuntia's family has made a living off of fishing for generations in the Bay of Bengal and the rivers and canals of West Bengal's Purba Medinipur.
He recalls having the ability to catch 10 tonnes of fish annually, some of which he would keep and the rest of which he would sell in the market.
They are no longer, though. There aren't many fish, and Debabrata now subsists off of her tomato and brinjal crops.
He knows exactly who or what is to blame. Shrimp farming in excess. ".
According to him, many farmers have switched to shrimp farming because the money is better. However, that entails constructing shrimp ponds, feeding the shrimp, and giving them antibiotics.
Debabrata claims that the untreated water that is flushed into the river at the conclusion of the shrimp's growing cycle, when they are ready for market, has contaminated the water.
He says, "The water turns black and stenches.". Even his vegetable crop has suffered from the poor water quality.
In other parts of the world, shrimp farming has also been held responsible for social and environmental issues.
Despite these issues, India is unlikely to abandon the sector.
You may have noticed, if you're a fan of crustaceans, that this article frequently refers to shrimp.
The terms "prawn" and "shrimp" are frequently used interchangeably.
The 43-year aquarium manager at the University of Southampton, Jenny Mallinson, draws these distinctions.
- Shrimps are small and prawns are big, according to the UK food industry.
- British shrimps are a grey color with black spots that are found in the wild lying flat on the ground with their legs spread out sideways.
- Live British prawns are typically upright on their legs with a bent body and a single pointed rostrum (a point between the eyes that resembles a beak).
- Prawns are transparent as well, occasionally sporting red markings, and some have the ability to adopt the color of the red or green seaweed they are residing in.
Also to be noted is the use of the plural shrimp rather than shrimps in the US, India, and other countries.
Shrimp farming has increased rural residents' incomes and developed into a lucrative export industry. Frozen shrimp exports from India are the largest in the world and are worth almost $5 billion (£4 billion) annually.
However, some believe there may be an environmentally friendly alternative.
"Around one million rural farmers and coastal communities rely on shrimp and fish aquaculture, but traditional farming practices prevent them from achieving production efficiency and fail to predict diseases," says Rajamanohar Somasundaram, the chief executive and co-founder of AquaConnect.
AquaConnect, a company founded in 2017, offers a mobile app-based advisory service for fish farmers. It has created artificial intelligence that considers the farmer's resources and offers recommendations on how to use the best feed quantities or elevate water quality.
Mr. Somasundaram claims that Indian aquaculture farming is incredibly unscientific.
Other businesspeople want technology to have even more influence over shrimp production.
The vast majority of fish and shrimp farming in India currently takes place in ponds or sea cages, but there is another method.
Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) involve moving water back and forth between tanks. As there is very little wastage, the water is continuously filtered and monitored.
With much less risk of local environment pollution, conditions can be tightly controlled.
The tanks can be placed anywhere, perhaps close to large cities, which could serve as markets for fresh produce because they don't require a natural water source.
additional business technology.
One of the first businesses in India's aquaculture sector, Kings Infra Ventures, is led by Shaji Baby John as chairman and managing director.
In collaboration with a Japanese business, his company created an RAS for shrimp farming and constructed two pilot plants. One is indoor and one is outdoor.
Mr. John claims that his RAS can produce five shrimp cycles per year due to the ability to precisely control the water conditions and closely monitor the shrimp. There might only be two shrimp in a typical pond-based shrimp farm.
A 1,000 square meter facility could produce up to 45 tonnes of shrimp annually thanks to the increase in productivity.
As a result of the controlled environment, Mr. John claims that production quality is higher and losses are less frequent.
But all of that technology is pricey, and many are skeptical that RAS for shrimp will catch on in India.
According to Victor Suresh, president of the Society of Aquaculture Professionals, there is very little chance that RAS will replace conventional shrimp production methods in India.
He notes that the capital and operating costs of RAS are very high. He asserts that RAS might be in a position to compete in areas close to major cities where there may be a market for expensive fresh and live shrimp.
But for the time being, shrimp farmers in India don't have much access to that market.
"Earthen ponds provide the most economically viable option," he claims, "for a country like India where several hundred thousand tonnes of shrimp are raised by primarily small farmers to be processed and sold into export markets.".
The initial investment costs of RAS farming are high, Mr. John admits, but he claims the quality of the fish produced by his RAS systems is higher and the cost per shrimp is lower than in conventional ponds.
The new facilities should have a low carbon footprint, according to him, because they will use solar panels for their electricity.
"We have chosen aquaculture with a full focus on sustainable and environmentally friendly practices with zero use of antibiotics and zero waste," he claims.
Shrimp farmers are a cautious group, according to Rajamanohar Somasundaram of AquaConnect.
Shrimp farming is a business with high risks and potential rewards. In this industry, technology solutions must be precise or they will lead to significant losses. This may be the basis for farmers' mistrust of technology.
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