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THE SOCIAL and ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS of SHRIMP MARICULTURE: CASE STUDIES of TWO COASTAL VILLAGES in ECUADOR by Mary C. Crider A

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THE SOCIAL and ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS of SHRIMP MARICULTURE: CASE STUDIES of TWO COASTAL VILLAGES in ECUADOR by Mary C. Crider A THE SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF SHRIMP MARICULTURE: CASE STUDIES OF TWO COASTAL VILLAGES IN ECUADOR by Mary C. Crider A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Charles E. Schmidt College of Science in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL May 2012 THE SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF SHRIMP MARICULTURE: CASE STUDIES OF TWO COASTAL VILLAGES IN ECUADOR by Mary C. Crider This thesis was prepared under the direction of the candidate's dissertation advisor, Dr. Maria Fadiman, Department of Geosciences, and has been approved by the members ofher supervisory committee. It was submitted to the faculty ofthe Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and was accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree ofMaster ofScience. SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE: ~~ Maria Fadiman, Ph.D. Thesis Advisor su~~~· Tobin Hindle, Ph.D. GaryW.e ,P~ Dean, Charles E. 'Schmidt Col e ofScience B~?Sr;~~ 11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my main thesis advisor, Dr. Maria Fadiman, without whose guidance this thesis project never would have been completed. I am also grateful for the suggestions from my committee members, Dr. Susan Laramore and Dr. Tobin Hindle. Furthermore, I especially appreciate Dr. Jorge Restrepo’s instruction on my statistics, which was necessary for successful analysis. Additionally, I would like to thank Jatun Sacha, especially the director of the Congal Biomarine Station, Andres Ledergerber, for facilitating my research in the study area. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude toward my local guides, Marisol Gallardo and Carlos Torres, and translators, Eva Gertz, Yani Astudillo, Lucia Ordoñez-Gauger, Samuel Kaa, and Adrian Levrel, for their willingness to help me collect the data. iii ABSTRACT Author: Mary C. Crider Title: The Social and Environmental Effects of Shrimp Mariculture: Case Studies of Two Coastal Villages in Ecuador Institution: Florida Atlantic University Thesis Advisor: Dr. Maria Fadiman Degree: Master of Science Year: 2012 Shrimp mariculture expansion in developing countries has been criticized for its ecological destruction and the resulting social conflicts. In Ecuador, shrimp pond development particularly affects rural, coastal communities. This study addresses the environmental and social effects of shrimp farming in two Ecuadorian villages, Muisne and Bunche. Interview and survey responses indicate that locals have an overall negative view of the industry. In some instances, such as increased class marginalization through reduced access to subsistence collection areas, shrimp farming directly results in conflict. However, the data also demonstrates that ponds are only one of various stressors on mangrove ecosystems. Furthermore, mariculture provides benefits to the community, including increasing employment opportunities, the local economy, and shrimp availability. In spite of these benefits, local negative perception suggests modifications to existing regulations and educational programs are necessary to minimize impacts and iv help the community understand the multiple factors affecting their ecosystem and livelihoods. v DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this manuscript to my parents, Michelle Crislip and Kenneth Crider, for their support of this project and my travels to Ecuador. THE SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF SHRIMP MARICULTURE: CASE STUDIES OF TWO COASTAL VILLAGES IN ECUADOR LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................. x LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... xi 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................... 4 Background on Global Shrimp Aquaculture ................................................................... 4 Background on Shrimp Mariculture in Ecuador ............................................................. 6 Environmental Effects ..................................................................................................... 7 Mangrove Forest Destruction ...................................................................................... 8 Chemical and Waste Discharge ................................................................................. 11 Spread of Disease and Parasites ................................................................................ 13 Saltwater and Freshwater Use ................................................................................... 14 Depleting Fishery Population .................................................................................... 15 Social Conflicts ............................................................................................................. 16 Benefits of Shrimp Mariculture..................................................................................... 19 Employment Opportunities ........................................................................................ 20 Improved standard of living ...................................................................................... 20 3. METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................... 22 Study Site Description ................................................................................................... 22 History of Shrimp Farming in Muisne and Bunche ...................................................... 26 Interviews & Surveys .................................................................................................... 28 Statistical Analysis ........................................................................................................ 30 4. RESULTS ..................................................................................................................... 33 vii Environmental Effects ................................................................................................... 33 Negative Environmental Effects ................................................................................ 33 Mangrove Destruction ........................................................................................... 35 Chemical and Waste Discharge ............................................................................. 37 Abandoned Ponds .................................................................................................. 41 Positive Environmental Effects ................................................................................. 41 Social Effects................................................................................................................. 42 Negative Social Effects ............................................................................................. 42 Loss of traditional livelihood ................................................................................. 42 Marginalization of classes...................................................................................... 45 Social Conflicts ...................................................................................................... 47 Positive Social Effects ............................................................................................... 48 Employment Opportunities .................................................................................... 49 Job Profitability and Satisfaction. ...................................................................... 52 Stimulating the local economy............................................................................... 56 Increased Availability of Shrimp ........................................................................... 56 Additional local benefits ........................................................................................ 57 Overall View of Shrimp Farming.................................................................................. 57 5. DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................... 61 Environmental Effects ................................................................................................... 61 Negative Environmental Effects ................................................................................ 61 Mangrove Destruction ........................................................................................... 61 Chemical and Waste Discharge ............................................................................. 64 Positive Environmental Effects ................................................................................. 67 Social Effects................................................................................................................. 69 Negative Social Effects ............................................................................................. 70 viii Loss of traditional livelihoods ............................................................................... 70 Marginalization of classes...................................................................................... 75 Social conflicts ....................................................................................................... 76 Positive Social Effects ..............................................................................................
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