The UK has launched a sustainable prawn project, aiming to achieve self-sufficiency in farmed prawns.

The project is led by the University of Exeter, in collaboration with the University of Reading and the Rothamsted Research Institute, and researchers believe that land-based prawn farming can become an important component of future food production in the UK, bringing multiple benefits to the domestic seafood industry, farmers, and the environment. Whiteleg shrimp is one of the five seafoods consumed in the UK, with the other four being cod, haddock, salmon, and tuna. The UK currently imports up to 28,000 tons of shrimp annually, mainly from Southeast Asian producers, some of whom have questionable ecological practices, including the destruction of carbon-fixing mangroves. The UK Sustainable Shrimp and Prawn Project (UKSKPP) proposes a radically different sustainable model, using indoor recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). These systems are designed according to circular economy principles and powered by renewable energy technologies, which can provide consumers with locally produced, low-carbon footprint, and highly fresh products. Land-based farming systems can also create new job opportunities. The project was launched in 2022 and will continue until March 2026. A demonstration farm has already been established near St Andrews in Fife, Scotland.