Data and Statistics: Depleting Mangroves

According to a FAO report in 2005, global mangrove coverage has fallen from 18.8 million hectares in 1980 to 15.2 million by the end of 2000, which is approximately 20% of the global mangrove area in Asian in 1980.  

 (ZSL 2012)

Shrimp Aquaculture: Attacking The Environment

(WWF 2011)

In modern society, we love to satisfy our cravings by eating what we want. Food is now a main form of entertainment, especially for Americans. Americans love seafood, especially shrimp. Whether stir-fried, barbecued, or curried, our passion for this tender crustacean is undeniable.  In fact, farmed shrimp accounts for one-third of global consumption (BBC 2004). This is not a model of development that we should be proud of. 

Shrimp farming is a booming industry; in only the United States, we consume more than a billion pounds of shrimp a year (NRDC 2011).  However, when done incorrectly, it is a destructive one. Shrimp farms are not naturally made. The pollution from antibiotics, fertilizers, disinfectants, and pesticides; the clearing of vegetation for new farms; the introduction of salt water to soil; the unsustainable levels of bycatch; and the introduction of new diseases that accompany shrimp farming negatively impact the environment enormously.