The Guide to the Indian Shrimp Industry
is aimed at anyone who wants to understand better the structure and dynamics of the Indian shrimp industry and the companies that drive it.
As van der Pijl explains: "India is today the second or third largest shrimp producer globally. It's the world's largest producer of peeled products. Being almost entirely export-oriented, the shrimp industry is an important source of foreign exchange and an important contributor to India's economy. Amidst India's labour rights accusations, it's important to mention and highlight that India's shrimp industry provides direct and indirect employment to 1-1.5 million people. Imagine how many family members depend on this industry for their livelihoods. With this report, I hope to shed a positive light on India's shrimp industry and help build momentum to create a resilient future for the Indian shrimp industry and the people's livelihoods that depend on it."
Van der Pijl's career in the shrimp industry started about 12 years ago, when he lived in Chennai as a cultural anthropology student, researching the strategic behaviour of Indian shrimp exporters, at a time when the country was about to make the transition from P. monodon to L. vannamei.
Key industry representatives such as Elias Sait, the secretary general of the Seafood Exporters Association, and various members of the Society of Aquaculture Professionals, such as Santhana Krishnan, helped him find his way. Since then, he has visited India every year multiple times.
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About the guide, he adds: "I believe strongly in free access to information. Usually, these industry guides are paid publications accessible only to the lucky few who can afford to pay for them. Thanks to the generosity of its sponsors, this guide is available to everyone who wants to understand the significance of the Indian shrimp industry. It can be used as a business card for the sector. After publication, I hope that more companies and organisations will look at India and help the country to maintain and further develop a resilient future for the industry and the people's livelihoods that depend on it."
Before the Guide to the Indian Shrimp Industry, Shrimp Insights also published a report on the global L. vannamei broodstock market and a report on the global shrimp feed manufacturing landscape. Although the following publication is not planned yet, van der Pijl states that other countries or the industry as a whole deserve such a guide as well. At some point, he will decide and announce the next publication, probably in 2025. In the meantime, he will continue to publish the Shrimp Blog and Bytes, which provide free updates about the global shrimp industry.
