Environmental impacts of shrimp aquaculture – a systematic review of life cycle assessments

Alena Goebel, Patrik J. G. Henriksson, E. J. Milner-Gulland, Henry Travers, Joseph Poore

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is increasingly used to evaluate the environmental impacts of shrimp aquaculture, a rapidly expanding global food sector. However, existing shrimp LCA studies report widely divergent results, varying by more than fiftyfold across key impact categories. This systematic review identified 16 peer-reviewed shrimp LCAs and investigates the reasons for these discrepancies. We reveal inconsistencies across all LCA stages, such as system boundaries (e.g., inconsistent inclusion of change and pond emissions), co-product allocation methods, background data sources, and impact assessment methodologies. Strikingly, only five studies provide sufficient data for reproducibility. We demonstrate that methodological choices more strongly influence LCA outcomes than actual differences in shrimp farming operations. Moreover, many studies neglect critical environmental concerns such as biodiversity loss, land use change and antibiotic use. To enhance LCA reliability and comparability, we recommend specific methodological harmonisation, suggest reporting needs for transparency, and identify priority geographic and system coverage for future LCAs. Such improvements are essential for LCA results to accurately inform sustainable shrimp farming practices.