Resource Use Assessment of Shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei and Penaeus monodon , Production in Thailand and Vietnam

Resource use was investigated at 34 Litopenaeus vannamei and five Penaeus monodon farms in Thailand and 30 L . vannamei and 24 P . monodon farms in Vietnam. Farms varied in water surface areas for production, reservoirs, canals, and settling basins; in pond size and depth; and in water management, stocking density, feeding rate, amendment input, aeration rate, crop duration, and crops per year. Production of L . vannamei averaged 17.3 and 10.9 m.t./ha/yr, and feed conversion ratio averaged 1.49 and 1.33 in Thailand and Vietnam, respectively. On average, production of 1 m.t. of L . vannamei required 0.58 ha land, 5,400 m 3 water, 60  GJ energy, and 1218 kg wildfish in Thailand and 1.76 ha land, 15,100 m 3 water, 33.7  GJ energy, and 1264 kg wildfish in Vietnam. Resource use per metric ton of shrimp declined with greater production intensity. In Thailand, P . monodon was produced at 0.2–0.4 m.t./ha/yr, with no inputs but water and postlarvae. In Vietnam, P . monodon production averaged 3.60 m.t./ha/yr. Production of 1 m.t. of P . monodon required 0.80 ha land, 36,000 m 3 water, 47.8  GJ energy, and 1180 kg wildfish, and resource use per ton production declined with increasing production intensity.