The Honduran Government Cannot Handle Shrimp Farming

            When you hear the phrase “shrimp farming in Honduras”, not much comes to mind. However, shrimp farming in this Central American nation has become the subject of some debate over recent years as both an environmental and social issue. Shrimp farming is not a historical activity in Honduras it was introduced in the early 1970s and the industry has seen rapid growth over the past two decades. This growth is largely in part due to western demand or shrimp, and now Honduras is one of the top shrimp exporters from Latin America.[1] It’s main consumers are the United States, Canada, Japan and Europe.

            However, shrimp farming has some environmental consequences. Shrimp farming causes devastation to natural mangrove forests. These mangrove forests are part of a system of coastal wetlands that is crucial to the ecosystem of the region. Shrimp farming requires the removal of mangroves to make shrimp nurseries in their place. An estimated 3 million hectares of mangrove forest have been lost over the last thirty years, however roughly 450,000 of these hectares are now unusable and abandoned due to extreme pollution.[2] Mangrove destruction has devastating effects on the environment, such as decreasing the water quality, destroying habitats for native fish and increasing the risk of coastal flooding. Additionally, runoff from the shrimp hatcheries causes nutrient imbalances in the surrounding water, further degrading the ecosystem. Catching wild shrimp also creates “bycatch”, which is when other species are unintentionally caught during the fishing process. Large shrimp farming companies are given international donations and are favored by the state as the preferred means for operating the shrimping industry. The shrimp industry does provide some economic stimulation to an otherwise impoverished nation, however the consequences far outweigh the benefits. The shrimp industry is not sustainable, as it relies heavily on wild-caught shrimp and is growing at a burgeoning pace. Stonich and Vandergeest note the temporary cash flows, expensive start-up costs and market susceptibility to price fluctuations. Additionally, the shrimp industry displaces local farmers or shrimpers, especially since large shrimp companies are favored by the Honduran government.

            I argue that although the shrimping industry may boost the local or state economy temporarily, Honduras does not have the infrastructure to support itself and to mitigate the resulting consequences. I had the opportunity to visit Honduras last winter break, with the student group Students Helping Honduras. The goal of this nonprofit is to establish 1,000 schools in rural villages throughout the nation. My week in Honduras was filled with intensive labor. I have never in my life lifted more cement, sand and cinderblocks. The work was grueling due to the lack of sufficient construction tools; all lifting and cement-mixing was done by hand.

            The reason why the situation in Honduras is exigent is due to the extreme gang violence. Two gangs, the Maras and the MS-13, have a stronghold on the country. When I was in Honduras, my group of students traveled with anywhere from two to five Honduran soldiers. They were armed with heavy machine guns and did not leave our group throughout the entire trip. This is due to the extreme prevalence of gangs and gang violence in Honduras. The gangs took hold of Honduras after being deported back to the nation from the United States due to a “get-tough” Congressional stance on immigration. Criminals were deported to Honduras, although the developing nation did not have the proper means to handle them. Now, Honduras has the highest homicide rate in the world and a large amount of gang violence. Because of this government corruption, Honduras will be unable to deal with the lasting environmental consequences of shrimping.

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[1] http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=6339

[2] http://mangroveactionproject.org/shrimp-farming/