PROFILE: Shrimp farming has developed widely through the desire to provide for increasing demands and continues to grow economically despite any environmental, ecological, and social disadvantages. A shrimp farm is an aquaculture business for the cultivation of marine shrimp. Shrimp is enormously popular seafood in the developed nations of the world, including the United States, the European Union, Japan, and Australia. Shrimps belong to the order Decapoda, a crustacean order. All decapods possess a full carapace or head shield and eponymously, five pairs of walking legs. Their first three pairs of thoracic appendages are modified into "maxillipeds or feeding legs. Shrimps are distinguished from the other decapods by having the front-most section of the abdomen about the same size as the rest of the sections and by having five pairs of abdominal appendages, or pleopods, adapted for swimming. There are more than 3,000 living species of shrimp worldwide. Advantages of Shrimp: Shrimp is high in calcium iodine and protein but low in food energy. A shrimp based meal is also a significant source of cholesterol and considered healthy for the circulatory system because the lack of significant levels of saturated fat in shrimp means that the high cholesterol content in shrimp actually improves the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol and lowers triglycerides. Shrimp are also good source of cardio-protective omega 3 fatty acids, noted for their anti inflammatory effects and ability to prevent the formation of blood clots. HARVESTING AND HANDLING: Two methods of harvesting are generally practiced on farms. These are either by draining the pond and catching the shrimp in a bag net or by netting the shrimp within the pond. For the first method of harvesting, ponds and outlets should be appropriately designed and be able to completely drain the pond within 4 to 6 hours. A bag net should be able to be fixed to the outlet to collect the shrimp that are carried by the out flouring water. The best time for harvesting is early in the morning and it should be completed before mid morning. In ponds that can only be drained at low tide, the harvest should be conducted whenever possible. The shrimp should be regularly removed from the harvesting bag in small quantities to prevent damage. When netting the shrimp within the pond either a small electric net or a large seine net can be used. The water level of the pond should be reduced to 0.5 to 0.75 m deep and workers will need to go inside the pond for netting. This method is less advantageous the pond bottom will be disturbed, thus causing contamination of the shrimp. It is also slower and may take a long time to complete. With either method, it is necessary to hand-pick the remaining shrimp in the pond, after the pond is drained. The harvested shrimp can be quickly killed by giving them a temperature shock (dip in iced water) to prevent damage and to improve storage. Global Scenario: The global shrimp industry has experienced phenomenal growth over the last twenty two years generating more than 730,000 metric tons of farm cultured product annually. This industry represents a market value exceeding US$ 3.7-4.5 billion ($5.00-$6.00/kg) ex farm. World production of shrimp, both captured and farmed, is about 6 million tons, of which about 60% enters the world market. Shrimp is now the most important internationally traded fishery commodity in terms of value. Therefore the scope for Shrimp farming is very bright. An entrepreneur venturing into this project will find it very lucrative.