MISSION SHRIMPOSSIBLE: VIETNAM’S CARBON-ABSORBING SHRIMP FARMS AMONGST THE MANGROVES

Mission shrimpossible: Vietnam’s carbon-absorbing shrimp farms amongst the mangroves. 

• WWF is supporting shrimp farmers in the Mekong Delta to increase yields and protect carbon-absorbing mangroves
• Maintaining mangroves in shrimp farms has increased the number and quality of shrimp while protecting coastal communities from extreme weather
• WWF is urging UK retailers and consumers to support sustainably sourced shellfish producers to benefit both people and the planet

Shrimp farmers in Ca Mau province, at the southern tip of Vietnam, are pioneering a new way of farming that could protect their livelihoods and help fight climate change, by farming amongst the mangroves.

Mangrove forests are a key ecosystem in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, protecting coastal communities from the impacts of extreme weather, providing a rich habitat for fish and other species, and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere.

But factors including a lack of funding and years of unsustainable shrimp farming have led to clearance of vital mangroves, land and water contamination, loss of shrimp to disease and unstable incomes for farmers.

Shrimp farming is now being reimagined as a sustainable livelihood, benefiting farmers, fish and forests. In 2024, Vietnam’s former Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development publicly supported the implementation of nature-based solutions such as WWF-Vietnam’s new shrimp-mangrove model, which supports farmers with the knowledge and capacity to farm shrimp sustainably amongst the mangroves.

With help from WWF-Vietnam, farmers are integrating their shrimp ponds into mangrove forests, not only protecting mangroves and their coastal communities, but also seeing an increase in productivity and income.

One shrimp farmer, Le Van Dieu, allocated one third of his farm to this shrimp-mangrove model in 2022, going on to increase his yield in the first year by 30%.

Dieu said:

“Not long ago, I had a vague idea of the connection between forests and shrimp farming. Now, I know just how important mangrove forests are for environmental protection and boosting shrimp production.”

Dieu is now converting the entirety of his 13-hectare farm to the sustainable method.

Nguyen Phuong Duy, Project Manager for Food Production at WWF-Vietnam, said:

 “Shrimp farming is not just a livelihood for people in the Mekong Delta, it’s something entire families have done for generations. It’s their way of life.

“By helping to increase incomes for shrimp farmers, solutions like the shrimp-mangrove model empower people to take an active role in protecting the ecosystems they live and work in.

“UK consumers also have the power to support projects like this by looking for ASC-certified shellfish in supermarkets and calling on retailers to provide more sustainably and responsibly sourced produce.”

Through the shrimp-mangrove model, WWF-Vietnam aims to build resilience against climate change for coastal communities and create more sustainable incomes for shrimp farmers like Dieu. This comes as Vietnam prepares to launch a legal framework for carbon credits by 2027, opening additional new income opportunities for communities to protect and expand mangrove forests.