Critical points in the environmental impact assessment of Shrimp Farming in the Pacific of Nicaragua, during its production process: Production of larvae, operation and abandonment of Farms

Abstract

Shrimp farming is a growing productive sector with great potential, especially on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. Currently there is discussion about its possible environmental impacts. This article tries to identify and characterize the main environmental impacts of its production process that helps to point out those critical points for the environmental impact assessment. With this objective, three companies involved were visited, in each of the stages of the production process: production of larvae, operation and abandonment of shrimp farms, respectively, where semi-structured interviews and direct observation in the field were carried out. One of the main critical points identified in the evaluation of environmental impacts during the operation of shrimp farms and the production of larvae turned out to be water contamination due to discharges in each production cycle. This possible impact could be characterized as a direct, cumulative and possibly irrecoverable impact on the aquatic environment, with significant consequences on the social environment, which in turn is the recipient of impacts derived from the abandonment of shrimp farms by creating legal conflicts over ownership of the land. land.