The s hrimp aquaculture sector in Costa Rica has faced important challenges and setbacks in recent years, limiting its capacity to increase production and provide economic growth. R esponsible and sustainable shrimp aquaculture represents an innovative opportunity for the country to move towards a blue growth trajectory, including increased domestic wealth generation and seafood supplies and promotion of wise use of marine and coastal natural resources .
Conservation International is working with a range of shrimp aquaculture stakeholders, including government, industry, communities, and trade groups , to help steer the sector towards sustainable shrimp production. The initiative builds off lessons learned in other key shrimp geographies, including Indonesia, Vietnam, and Ecuador. D one in partnership with the CRUSA foundation, the initiative is the first its type and scale carried out in Costa Rica and will be conducted in multiple stages. First, we are developing a georeferenced information platform to determine the spatial extent of shrimp aquaculture activities in Costa Rica and their relationships to associated coastal ecosystems and communities. Next, we will evaluate the performance of the Costa Rican shrimp aquaculture sector relative to international sustainability standards and best management practices. Based on the results of this evaluation, we will then co-develop and implement an improvement project with key stakeholders in the shrimp farming sector to advance Costa Rica as a leader in environmental sustainability and social responsibility in aquaculture. Finally, we will work with supply chain stakeholders to highlight the sustainability, traceability, and added value of responsibly produced Costa Rican aquaculture products. While the shrimp aquaculture in Costa Rica is currently small, it can be a model for responsible management and blue growth.