The Effects of Pond Management Strategies on Nutrient Budgets: Honduras

Semi-intensive shrimp production in Honduras is based upon use of formulated diets to supply nutrients for shrimp growth. Unconsumed feed contributes nutrients to pond water, which when discharged may deteriorate water quality in receiving waters. Estuaries are the water source and sink for shrimp farms in Honduras, and many farms have been established along individual estuaries. A key element in achieving sustainable shrimp culture in Honduras is to ensure that the carrying capacity of each estuary is not exceeded because of overdevelopment of farms or uncontrolled intensification of production practices, both of which could result in significant increases in nutrient load entering estuaries due to farm discharges. Nutrient budgets are developed to assess the fate of nutrients added to a system and to rank importance of nutrient sources and sinks. In addition, the potential pollution impact of a specific pond management system could be evaluated using nutrient budgets. The objective of this experiment was to develop budgets for nitrogen and phosphorus in semiintensively managed shrimp ponds receiving a low or high protein feed.