IMPROVERS PROGRAM FOR ECUADORIAN SHRIMP INDUSTRY TO PROMOTE A BETTER USE OF PRODUCTION RESOURCES AND A PATHWAY TO SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

Ecuadorian shrimp producers are moving towards more responsible production via several commitments and pathways.  One of the fundamental components of the SSP improver program includes measuring the efficiency of water, land, energy and wild fish to produce shrimp.  If we want farmed seafood to be an important part of the solution for feeding people, efficiency in natural resource inputs is critical . Local agencies, authorities and researchers have not been able to determine these metrics and if so, they haven´t made results accessible to   interested parties.

WWF, SSP, IDH and ASC are collaborating to undertake a comprehensive farm level survey to measure a baseline of resource use in the country.  Big groups currently operate under appropriate parameters and most of them are already eco-certified or pursuing an eco-certification, but smaller and mid-size producers, are also an important link in ecuadorian aquaculture pathway to sustainability and may perform an adequate role in an efficient resource-use.

For this reason, the Improvers Program is aiming to engage actors  that are a  part of this group of farms,  which seeks better output regarding environmental impact and an efficient and profitable production system but can lack guidance on how to implement this as well as competitive pricing and/ or access to key markets.  

With this information,  we as WWF, expect to have a good picture of the real situation in ecuadorian shrimp culture that may contribute to  the  conservation of  natural resources such as water , land , and  energy  and will contribute to optimizing the performance within the industry.

Surveys and sampling in field have been carried out for several months since July 2019, and preliminary results of different farming sites , both in continent and insular areas, will be shared in the presentation.