...usFor the Sake of a Shrimp
Tiger prawns, or giant shrimp, may easily be perceived
as an innocent enough product. The reality is however, that the production
of this shrimp destroys millions of poor peoples' lives and devastates one
of the world’s most productive ecosystems – the Mangrove forest.
In Bangladesh alone over 150 people have been killed since 1980, in protests
against their land being taken and turned into shrimp growing ponds. Similarly,
in one Indian state over 48,000 people were displaced over a three year
period so as to enable the setting up of shrimp aquaculture! All this because
consumers in Japan, North America and Europe are ready to pay big bucks
for the luxury of eating bigger than normal shrimp.
The Mangrove forest is of great importance as a natural
protective system against tsunamis, hurricanes and other such natural disasters.
Where shrimp ponds have been established and the coastal Mangrove forest
destroyed, there are examples of thousands more casualties as a result of
natural disastors and the areas inability to limit the damage naturally.
A striking example of this was the tsunami that struck Asia in December
2004.**
Obviously, tropical shrimp is a product that has suffered heavy criticism
from Environmental and Human Rights NGOs, as well as much protest from local
communities. As a response to this, the Shrimp industry has organised itself
and is now trying to promote the product as organic through phonycriteria
and smart marketing. In some cases, even more serious companies and organisations
such as COOP grocery chains in Europe and the German Naturland have started
to promote what they falsely call “organic” prawn. Common for
all the examples is that the criteria are far too weak to make the shrimps
organic. As absurd as it may sound, the worst food product in the market
is beginning to take market shares in the organic and fair trade market.
This is not only causing environmental and social problems were the prawns
are grown – it is also a serious threat to the credibility of organic
certification among consumers!
* See for example the report ”Smash and Grab - Conflict, corruption & human rights abuses in the shrimp farming industry”
** See for example www.earthisland.org/map/tsunami.htm
