东南亚是世界虾类养殖的重心地区, 而白虾已成为世界养虾中最重要的虾种。中国为世界养虾产量最多的地区。在东南亚的养虾中, 白虾的产量占总产量的比例从2004年的62%增加到2006年的76%, 而草虾产量占总产量的比例则从38%减少到24%。但是印度、印度尼西亚与孟加拉国等地区的草虾产量不减反增, 其中以印度为最, 这与当地低密度的放养方式生产的较大体形的草虾有关。美国和日本的养虾产量由于供过于求, 故虾价仍缓慢下跌, 若养殖业者能把握虾价较高的季节(9月至次年1月)并生产大型虾类, 则养殖利润仍高, 越南的草虾即为一例。文中还提及白虾超高密度养殖的成功方法, 许多地区的每季白虾生产可达40t•hm?2以上; 淡水区白虾养殖可不必加以禁养, 因其对环境的危害影响仍不明显。本文最后还提出发展虾类养殖的科研重点, 以供有识者参考。

South East Asia is the center of farmed shrimp, and China tops the shrimp production. Cultured shrimp species has changed gradually in South East Asia, and white shrimp becomes the most important farmed shrimp species in the world. Production of white shrimp reached 76% of the total farmed production in 2006, while it was only 62% in 2004. However, production of black tiger shrimp has increased in India, Indonesia and Bangladesh, for their bigger size harvested in extensive culture system. In the USA and Japan, the supply of shrimp surpassed the demand, resulting in gradually decreased market price. There is no way to stabilize the price unless bigger size shrimp produced at right seasons is encouraged as in Vietnam. In super intensive white shrimp culture system, production of over 40t•hm?2 per crop can be achieved. White shrimp can tolerate very low salinity water, and many freshwater areas have been converted into shrimp ponds. Finally, some suggestions for shrimp culture development are put forward in this paper.