Farmers are not paid to grow shrimp – they grow shrimp with a view to future markets – unless one is talking here poor smallholder exploited and indentured farmers (these may be being paid with seed and feed to grow shrimp on their land).
Stocking strategies are to maximise profits at least in global leader Ecuador – which drives global shrimp market…but it may be a different viewpoint lifted from SE Asian and Indian sub-continent observational data where farmers follow but do not lead on strategy and thus are paid to grow shrimp…
Lowering stocking levels globally is NOT a result of farmers being paid less to grow shrimp.
Lowering stocking level is a strategy that allows for an earlier harvest and rapid restock or obtaining larger sizes and targeting different prices/markets/sectors.
It’s another tool that shrimp farmers can use and adds to the flexibility of this protein to deliver.
Prawnmaster's Blog 