Shrimp Insights, the consultancy and publication firm of shrimp industry analyst and changemaker Willem van der Pijl, has released its Guide to the Indian Shrimp Industry. This is a 196-page publication for anyone who wants to understand better the structure and dynamics of the Indian shrimp industry and the companies that drive it.
"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 labor 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,” said van der Pijl.
Having lived in Chennai, India, as a cultural anthropology student, researching the strategic behavior of Indian shrimp exporters, van der Pijl's career in the shrimp industry started about 12 years ago. That was the time that India was about to make the transition from P. monodon to L. vannamei. He tried to identify those companies that would be the first movers and those who could be the laggers. 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 Mr. Santhana Krishnan, helped him find his way. Since then, he has visited India every year multiple times. He set up aquaculture improvement projects for Solidaridad Network in West Bengal and Odisha. He publishes regular updates on the status of production and exports. He supports several organizations in finding their way through the Indian industry and political landscape. He also helps individual Indian and overseas companies develop partnerships. He has become an ambassador of the Indian shrimp industry.
Regarding the guide, he added, "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 organizations 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.
Besides running Shrimp Insights, Willem van der Pijl is currently also co-founder and managing director of the Global Shrimp Forum, strategic advisor of the Global Shrimp Council, and long-term consultant of the US Non-Profit Monterey Bay Aquarium, Netherland-based shrimp importer Klaas Puul, and Indian space start-up GalaxEye. In 2023, he was the number 100 at Intrafish's Seafood Power 100.
Download the guide here.
