Costa Rican Shrimp Culture

摘要

The Costa Rican shrimp culture industry has experienced a variety ofdifficulties. The industry lags behind the industries which have developed in most other Central American countries. Only a few commercial growout operations are currently active. Suitable sites exist for pond construction, although estimates of the potential area vary from 4,000 to over 9,000 hectares. In addition, some observers believe that existing salt ponds could be converted for shrimp culture. Growers have made some progress in 1990 and 1991 and many believe that the country has the potential to develop a small shrimp culture industry. The difficulties do not appear to be due to any physical constraint, but rather to the limited technical capability and poor planning of early growers and the country's overall economic difficulties. Potential growers report continued problems obtaining credit. Harvests totaled about 400 metric tons in 1990 and will exceed 600 tons in 1991. The potential exists for considerable expansion during the 1990s. Based on the experience to date, however, the industry is likely to expand slowly. Harvests of about 5,000 tons by 2000 appear to be a reasonable projection.