Several shrimp aquaculture observers are deeply concerned that if shrimp imports cannot be properly controlled, they could increase the abundance of pathogens in aquatic environments. This, they believe, could prolong the existing disease trap.
PELAKITA.ID — The importation of vannamei shrimp from Ecuador, which entered Indonesia through bonded zones in East Java in April 2026, continues to draw attention and concern from various stakeholders.
On the one hand, the imports are considered capable of boosting the competitiveness of the processing industry by providing access to cheaper raw materials. This could subsequently contribute to foreign-exchange earnings, employment, and export consistency.
On the other hand, however, the imports threaten the sustainability of the aquaculture industry, which is currently still unable to escape a prolonged disease trap that has caused significant losses to shrimp farmers and other aquaculture businesses. Many have even been forced to cease operations.
The chain of impacts on the aquaculture industry, which covers around 303,000 hectares, is even more extensive because it encompasses a range of supporting businesses, from hatcheries and feed mills to intermediaries, potentially putting hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk.
Several shrimp aquaculture observers are deeply concerned that if these shrimp imports cannot be properly controlled, they could increase the abundance of pathogens in aquatic environments.
This is considered likely to prolong the existing disease trap.
Moreover, if the monitoring mechanism—particularly microbiological testing of imported shrimp—is not conducted rigorously, it could provide an entry point for new diseases, further strengthening these concerns.
Of the 120 tons of shrimp imported, approximately 40–50% consists of waste, particularly heads and shells, which are considered capable of increasing pathogen abundance in water sources used for aquaculture.
Ecuador is the world’s largest producer of vannamei shrimp. In 2025, its shrimp exports reached approximately 1.4 million tons, with a value approaching USD 8 billion, supported by a lower cost of production (approximately USD 2.85 per kilogram of shrimp).
Meanwhile, in the same year, Indonesia exported only around 218,087 tons of shrimp, dominated by vannamei, generating foreign-exchange earnings of USD 1.87 billion.
However, Indonesia continues to face relatively high production costs, at around USD 3.95 per kilogram of shrimp.
Ecuador has been successful in shrimp farming since 2011. Previously, between 2008 and 2010, the country was also severely affected by bacterial disease outbreaks. However, it was able to escape the disease trap within a relatively short period.
Genetic improvement, nursery-based farming, and the integration of digital technology into aquaculture systems became key strategies that enabled Ecuador to recover from the pressure and eventually become the world’s leading shrimp producer.
The pathogen exposure approach, which aims to obtain shrimp broodstock with offspring that are resistant to diseases and are referred to as SPR (Specific Pathogen Resistant) post-larvae, remains a key strategy to this day.
Ecuadorian SPR post-larvae perform successfully when farmed at low stocking densities of 5–10 shrimp per square meter. However, disease outbreaks can occur when they are farmed at high stocking densities.
Therefore, Ecuador relies heavily on low-density shrimp farming technologies, including traditional and semi-intensive systems. Indonesia, meanwhile, relies primarily on high-density systems, including intensive and super-intensive farming.
The concern among aquaculture observers that shrimp imported from Ecuador could increase the abundance of pathogens in aquatic environments is highly relevant. Therefore, this risk needs to be anticipated through strategic policies so that the processing industry and the aquaculture industry can grow together.
Strategic Policy Measures
Strategic policy measures are needed to ensure that the advancement of the downstream processing industry does not put pressure on the upstream aquaculture industry. This requires balanced governance through several policy instruments.
First, tightening regulations governing bonded zones. Shrimp imports must be strictly limited and permitted only as raw materials for export-oriented processing industries, supported by transparent, digitally based monitoring to prevent imported products from leaking into the domestic market.
Every imported shrimp shipment must undergo extremely rigorous testing by an independent laboratory to ensure that it is free from dangerous viruses such as WSSV, EHP, and others, thereby protecting the health of Indonesia’s aquatic ecosystems.
Second, mandatory absorption of local production, or Domestic Mandatory. The government must establish affirmative and firm requirements for importers.
Import licenses should only be granted to processing industries that, according to a specified ratio, can demonstrate that they absorb and prioritize shrimp production from local farmers at fair and reasonable prices.
Third, strengthening the competitiveness of the upstream aquaculture industry, particularly through production efficiency. Reducing production costs, which have remained high and tend to increase, should become a major priority.
The government should intervene to ensure that feed prices remain affordable, facilitate access to low-interest financing, and accelerate genetic improvement and the adoption of the latest environmentally friendly shrimp farming technologies.
The sustainability of Indonesia’s marine and fisheries industries can only be achieved if the upstream sector (shrimp farmers) and downstream sector (processing) operate as an integrated ecosystem in which each supports and sustains the other.
A roadmap for strengthening the competitiveness of both upstream and downstream industries is urgently needed. This roadmap would serve as a guide for stakeholders to conduct their businesses sustainably while also functioning as an instrument for oversight and control.
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The author is an Indonesian aquaculture expert and a former Head of the Marine and Fisheries Agency of Central Sulawesi Province.
Editor: K. Azis
