Shrimp · Buyer's journey
Shrimp farm buyer's journey: site, approvals, permits and costs
Short answer: prove the site first (seasonal water, soil, land rights, power), then ask the fisheries, environment and water authorities which approvals apply to that exact site. Plan the permits for post-larvae, feed and water before ordering anything, build the budget from quotes that cover the same scope, and send one private request for your country with that evidence attached.
Prepared 30 October 2026 from the official references on each country request page. Planning guidance, not legal advice: FishMatch does not issue or approve permits, and rules change — confirm them with the competent authority before contracting.
Supplier and manufacturer listings are provided for research, transparency and discovery only. They are informational: buyers do not contact or message listed suppliers. Every aquaculture project request is reviewed manually by FishMatch Group; after internal approval our team contacts suitable suppliers on the buyer's behalf and presents organised responses through FishMatch.
Site selection: prove the site before anything is priced
The site decides which system is realistic, which approvals apply and most of the cost. Collect evidence a supplier or engineer can check, not descriptions.
- Water: seasonal salinity, temperature and laboratory analyses for the intake source, wet and dry season; measured flow available.
- Soil and land: soil tests for pond seepage and earthworks, flood exposure, and documents proving your right to use the land.
- Intake and discharge: where water comes in and where it leaves, kept apart, with a plan for settling, sludge and effluent.
- Power and access: grid reliability, the critical load for aeration and pumps, backup power, road access and the receiving port.
- Seed and feed supply: where lawful, health-documented post-larvae and formulated feed will come from.
- System fit: extensive pond, lined pond, biofloc or RAS — chosen from the evidence above, not from a brochure.
Go deeper: commercial shrimp farm planning · shrimp systems compared · shrimp farm layout · farm planning: site, layout and permits
Approvals: find the route for your country and site
Most routes combine four things: an aquaculture licence or registration from the fisheries authority, an environmental assessment decision, a water abstraction or discharge permit, and proof of the right to use the land. Which ones apply, and in what order, depends on the country and often the province or state. Each request page below explains where to start, with official sources.
Africa
- KenyaAsk KeFS, NEMA and the Water Resources Authority about the exact siteRequest pageGuideFAQ
- GhanaFisheries Commission licence, EPA and water useRequest pageGuide
- NigeriaFisheries, EIA screening and water licenceRequest pageGuide
- South AfricaAquaculture, EIA and water useRequest pageGuide
- UgandaAsk MAAIF and NEMA about the exact projectRequest pageGuide
- ZimbabweCheck the EIA and permit route before designRequest pageGuide
- Côte d'IvoireStart with the 2016 fisheries and aquaculture lawRequest pageGuide
Asia
- ChinaAquaculture certificate, EIA category and water abstractionRequest pageGuide
- IndonesiaOSS risk-based licensing and KKP requirementsRequest pageGuide
- VietnamConfirm the provincial Fisheries Law procedureRequest pageGuide
- ThailandConfirm Department of Fisheries requirements for the siteRequest pageGuide
- MalaysiaConfirm the state or territorial approval routeRequest pageGuide
- SingaporeConfirm the SFA licence and the farm space firstRequest pageGuide
- BangladeshStart with the Department of Fisheries district officeRequest pageGuide
- PakistanStart with the province—not a generic permit listRequest pageGuide
- Sri LankaAsk NAQDA, the coast and environment authorities about the exact siteRequest pageGuide
Europe and Türkiye
- TürkiyePreliminary permit, project approval and ÇED screeningRequest pageGuide
- FranceAsk the prefecture which approval route appliesRequest pageGuide
- GermanyAsk the Land and district authorities about the exact siteRequest pageGuide (DE)
- SpainAsk the autonomous community about the exact siteRequest pageGuide
Americas and Oceania
- EcuadorConfirm the aquaculture authorisation under the 2020 lawRequest pageGuide
- GuatemalaConfirm aquaculture and environmental approvals for the siteRequest pageGuide
- HondurasConfirm aquaculture and environmental licensing for the siteRequest pageGuide
- New ZealandCheck biosecurity before anything elseRequest pageGuide
Permits for post-larvae, feed and water
Separate the permits for what goes into the farm from the farm's own approval. They are often issued per shipment or per activity, and they decide whether the equipment you order can be stocked at all.
Post-larvae and broodstock
Live shrimp usually need an import or movement permit and health documents. Non-native species can need separate permission. Diseases that must be reported are listed in the WOAH Aquatic Animal Health Code.
Feed and hatchery
Imported feed can need its own permit, and a hatchery or nursery that produces seed is often licensed separately from grow-out.
Water
Abstracting sea, river or groundwater and discharging farm water are commonly permitted by a water or environment authority, apart from the fisheries licence.
Example — Kenya: under the Fisheries Management and Development Act 2016, a commercial farm needs an aquaculture licence (section 116), farm registration (section 117) and a permit to harvest (section 118), which can be conditional on a NEMA environmental impact assessment licence where one applies. Introducing a species from outside Kenya needs written permission from the KeFS Director-General (section 66), and the 2024 Aquaculture Regulations provide per-shipment import, feed and export permits and a separate hatchery permit. Details: Kenya shrimp farming guide · Kenya shrimp farm FAQ.
Example — Ghana: section 83 of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025 (Act 1146) requires a commercial aquaculture establishment to be registered and licensed by the Fisheries Commission; the Environmental Protection Authority decides on environmental assessment, and the Water Resources Commission handles water use permits. Details: Ghana shrimp farming guide.
Costs: build the budget from comparable quotes
There is no single verified price for a shrimp farm. Cost follows the system and the site: earthworks and liners or buildings, aeration and pumps, power connection and backup, intake and discharge treatment, nursery, harvest and chilling, plus feed and post-larvae every cycle. Ask every supplier to quote the same scope, with installation, freight, spares and exclusions stated, and keep local-currency running costs apart from imported equipment.
- Shrimp farm cost guide: production figures and reported budgets
- Shrimp project cost calculator (your quotes, any currency)
- Shrimp cost per kg calculator
- Shrimp pond aeration calculator
- Shrimp farm energy load calculator
- Turkey shrimp farm cost calculator (official Turkish tariffs)
Calculator results are scenarios built from your inputs, not supplier quotes or local prices.
Request quotes for your country
Send the request once you can state the country and site, species, system and target harvest — approvals can still be in progress. Pick your country in step 2 for a request page with local guidance, or start a general request. A person reviews every request, and supplier identities stay private.