Antibiotic residues are a concern with freshwater shrimp.
Shrimp consumption increased significantly in the 1970s and, as a result, production boomed as well. Instead of being caught in the ocean, shrimp began to be farmed in man-made freshwater ponds. Although this increased the availability of shrimp, it also introduced significant health concerns associated with eating farmed shrimp.
Antibiotic Allergies
Shrimp farms crowd a lot of shrimp into small spaces. As a result, diseases spread quickly through farmed shrimp. Farmers must treat the ponds with antibiotics to stave off diseases. The consequence, however, is that antibiotic residue may still be present in the shrimp when they are served to consumers. There is the danger that someone with a specific antibiotic allergy may ingest a contaminated shrimp and become severely ill. This is not a concern with wild shrimp.
Neurological Damage
Shrimp producers also use significant amounts of pesticides in their ponds to kill parasites, insects, fish, algae and other unwanted organisms. Like antibiotics, these chemicals can remain in the flesh of the shrimp and become consumed by people. Accumulation of pesticides in the body can lead to neurological damage and cancer. Only one chemical, formalin, is approved for use in the United States, but other countries still spray harmful compounds such as organophosphates and malachite green.
Antibiotic-Resistant Food Poisoning
Any time any raw seafood, such as shrimp, is handled there is the possibility of food poisoning. This danger is augmented in freshwater shrimp, however, since the bacteria causing the sickness may be bacteria resistant. All bacteria that survives an antibiotic treatment in a shrimp pond is resistant and, if in contact with antibiotics enough, this bacteria can spread and become dominant. A case of antibiotic-resistant food poisoning is much more difficult to treat.
Environmental Harm
Although less shrimp are taken directly from the ocean in freshwater shrimp farming, the practice has an overall negative effect on the environment. Native mangrove trees are often cut down and cleared to build shrimp farms. Many species of fish depend on mangrove trees and, as a result, their populations have decreased. The intense concentration of shrimp in small areas produce a lot of toxins and waste materials that return to the ocean, further polluting it.
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