Let Them Eat Shrimp: The Tragic Disappearance of the Rainforests of the Sea

by Kennedy Warne

What’s the connection between a platter of jumbo shrimp at your local restaurant and murdered fishermen in Honduras, impoverished women in Ecuador, and disastrous hurricanes along America’s Gulf coast? Mangroves. Many people have never heard of these salt-water forests, but for those who depend on their riches, mangroves are indispensable. They are natural storm barriers, home to innumerable exotic creatures—from crabeating vipers to man-eating tigers—and provide food and livelihoods to millions of coastal dwellers. Now they are being destroyed to make way for shrimp farming and other coastal development. For those who stand in the way of these industries, the consequences can be deadly.

In Let Them Eat Shrimp, Kennedy Warne takes readers into the muddy battle zone that is the mangrove forest. A tangle of snaking roots and twisted trunks, mangroves are often dismissed as foul wastelands. In fact, they are supermarkets of the sea, providing shellfish, crabs, honey, timber, and charcoal to coastal communities from Florida to South America to New Zealand. Generations have built their lives around mangroves and consider these swamps sacred.

To shrimp farmers and land developers, mangroves simply represent a good investment. The tidal land on which they stand often has no title, so with a nod and wink from a compliant official, it can be turned from a public resource to a private possession. The forests are bulldozed, their traditional users dispossessed.

The true price of shrimp farming and other coastal development has gone largely unheralded in the U.S. media. A longtime journalist, Warne now captures the insatiability of these industries and the magic of the mangroves. His vivid account will make every reader pause before ordering the shrimp.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Biology, Nature, Food, Environment, Ecology

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 13, 2010

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

On some alternate scale, this book deserves 5 stars for convincing me to stop eating shrimp (one of many food-source questions we should all be asking ourselves). Whenever I read about the environment, I feel like we are collectively witnessing the end of so many beautiful somethings. This here is a paean to mangrove ecosystems and the communities that live among them, and is more than worth your time. Diverse and nutrient-rich!

[Kogiopsis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No external considerations went into this review.

It's an unfortunate fact of life for people interested in ecology - particularly in marine systems - that pretty much every book on the subject is... well, depressing as hell.

Like... let's be real here. Humans have screwed up our planet pretty badly, and we continue to do so. On land we can at least see some of the most severe effects of our destruction, but the ocean has historically been opaque to us: we've damaged it severely, possibly irrevocably, but until very recently we haven't been forced to confront that fact.

Scientifically speaking, my interests tend towards the largest megafauna on the planet: whales. As a result, I know a fair amount about their behavior and some about the ecological factors which can affect them... but as this book made me realize, woefully little about coastal ecosystems, even though they are often some of the most productive in the world and cornerstones of the ocean as a whole. I should probably fix that, and this was a fair start.

I've kayaked through mangroves (once, in Puerto Rico when I was 10), but until this book I didn't know much about them beyond the fact that they were trees that could grow in salt water and were important barriers protecting land behind them from oceanic storms. I had no sense of how vital they were as nurseries to all kinds of different organisms, marine and terrestrial. I didn't even know that there was more than one species of mangrove (and I'm kind of embarrassed by that fact!). The fact that there are 70 species from 24 different plant families completely blew my mind.

The portions of this book that touched on shrimp farming were sadly familiar. While aquaculture can be practiced sustainably (in contained ponds, with organisms no higher up the food chain than primary consumers and very careful waste management), there's a lot of money to be made in exploiting the ocean's naturally bountiful regions in a marine version of slash-and-burn agriculture. The story of shrimp that Warne relates here is strikingly similar to that of salmon that Alexandra Morton tells in Listening to Whales: What the Orcas Have Taught Us: corporations identify areas where their target species are abundant in the wild, place their facilities in the same location, and raise as much of their product as they can before they've completely stripped the very balance of resources that drew them there. When they leave - if they leave - natural habitat for wild species is destroyed, waste from the farming operation may have accumulated and polluted the water, and what used to be a haven runs the risk of becoming a dead zone. In the case of shrimp aquaculture, this doesn't even serve a real food benefit; as Warne points out, shrimp is rarely a dietary staple (and when it is, only in regions where it has historically been wild-caught, and where those wild populations suffer when aquaculture moves in).

What Warne touches on in-depth, in every location he discusses, that I particularly appreciated is the relationship between the local people and the mangroves. Conservation efforts around the world have pretty consistently shown that the people who are physically closest to natural resources absolutely must be involved in their protection. Often the locals in exploited areas are themselves being exploited, and may be in poverty or struggling to maintain a way of life as the world industrializes around them. External conservation organizations which simply impose new restrictions on them without regard for their needs or desires are just another way they lose control of their lives and their homelands. Conservation that involves people gives them motivation and a sense that they can change their lives for the better. Warne seems to understand this: he gives special attention to efforts which have integrated the needs of people with the needs of the mangroves, to the benefit of both.

To Warne's credit, he works hard to provide a generally positive outlook on the potential for mangrove restoration. Given the scale of deforestation, destruction, and plain old disregard I'm not sure I'm completely swayed, but there is a path forward here. One of the advantages of reading this in 2015 (instead of 2011, when I first got access to the galley... oops) is that shortly after I finished it, information was released on the accord that came out of the Paris climate conference. One of the outcomes of those talks was something Warne mentions being missing from Kyoto and other accords: a way of counting forests as carbon resources, making them more valuable alive than as hardwood. I cheered aloud when I heard the news.

As with all ecological books, I highly recommend that anyone interested read the whole thing themselves. The research that went into this is extensive, and there are far more fascinating details than I could ever mention here. Additionally, we all as human beings have a duty to be conscious of our environment, and having such a clearly written book to turn to certainly helps with that understanding.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

The idea for this book originated as a story for National Geographic Magazine-- the article is a great preview for the book. The slide show is amazing, of course.

Kennedy Warne visits mangroves from Bangladesh to Eritrea to Panama and Brazil. Though the title references shrimp farms, the book is centered on the ecology of mangroves, the cultures they support, threats to their continued existence, and ecosystem services. Culture? Yes--just like the rainforests referenced in the subtitle, mangroves support people who depend on them for shellfish, charcoal, fisheries, and even honey. Their exploitation by small groups of people may be sustainable, but mangroves are vulnerable to coastal development for tourism, timber, and shrimp farms. Warne travels the globe and finds that many governments protect mangroves on paper, but enforcement is lacking and development is often unregulated. It's not all bad news though, there are some encouraging stories of innovative sustainable development and reforestation programs, mangrove restoration and mitigation. None of the policy or science is excruciating or boring, however. It reads more like a travelogue-- I was reminded of Douglas Adams' "Last Chance to See", one of my favorite books. Tigers hunt the mangroves in Bangladesh, while monkeys in Tanzania use their tails to lure crabs. A humanitarian/cell biologist leads reforestation efforts in Eritrea. It's fascinating stories that are linked by mangroves.

Warne says that he is interested in mangroves because "they're maligned, they're marginalized....Mangroves are underdogs." He champions them well. Though not everyone may find them beautiful, they provide services that should easily win friends, such as nursery habitat for fish and shrimp, roosting and nectar for birds, storm buffer, silt trap, and carbon sink.

Based on the title, I was expecting more comparison between the costs of shrimp farming and wild shrimp harvesting, but the shrimp farms are one of many issues in the book. The book is refreshingly free of instructions on how to live our lives or condescension towards the first-world lifestyle. Warne does not talk down to the reader or preach.


Thanks to Island Press for letting me read this book through Netgalley.

[Brena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting topic and thoroughly discussed the importance of this often overlooked part of nature! Very intriguing first part of the book, thought that the writing quality decreased in the middle portion, but ended with a strong and compelling final chapter that makes us reevaluate how we view our connection to mangroves and "natural resources" in general. It's crazy at first to think that the shrimp you're eating for dinner came at such a hefty ecological and social price, but at the same time this idea is not so crazy once you recognize how intertwined humanity really is with environmental devastation.

[Eli · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy of Let Them Eat Shrimp, a look at the destruction of mangrove forests for shrimp farming, as part of an Island Press giveaway. It's good to see an issue like this get some more attention, and Warne's poetic prose helps to draw the reader in by making the book feel partly like a vivid travelogue. It also describes the seriousness of the issue without being too gloom-and-doom, which should be the first rule of all environmental writing.
That said, it's a book that I have a hard time liking. There's nothing really wrong with it, but I just couldn't get into it as much as I wanted. Perhaps it's because Warne describes various locations where the mangroves are being destroyed, but fails to place everything in a larger context. Perhaps it's because, while Warne describes tacts that have worked to protect the mangroves, nothing gets tied back to the shrimp consumers who are an integral part of the global supply chain that leads to mangrove destruction in the first place. Whatever the reason, Let Them Eat Shrimp just isn't that engrossing.
I'd still recommend it to someone interested in this issue and wants to learn more. However, unlike most other books on my bookshelf, I don't think this is one I'll be rereading.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mangrove forests harbor many incredible creatures and help provide storm barriers for our land. So many times they have been taken for granted or treated as dispensible. As civilization pushes forward into new areas, mangrove areas have been not only disturbed, but in some cases destroyed. Why? Many times it is to produce new areas for shrimp farming. In this book, Kennedy Warne takes the time to explain the importance of mangroves and the habitat they provide. It is an interesting wake-up call about simply moving forward without considering the consequences.

I didn't really know much about mangroves and their importance until reading this book. I recommend it to those who want to know more about this wonderful earth we inhabit, and the little known environments all around us.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably you haven't given much thought to mangroves. I haven't. Only occasionally have I given any thought to their role in the climate, such as when they're mentioned briefly as a shelter during a hurricane in Under a Dark Summer Sky. Kennedy Warne, on the other hand, has devoted a tremendous amount of time, energy, and brain power, to the plight of the mangroves.

And that plight, unfortunately, is tied inextricably to the global economy. See, people like shrimp. Shrimp do remarkably well in the tropical climates that are so prevalent in the developing world. Ergo, from Brazil to Indonesia, shrimp farms have cleared away mangroves to create shrimp ponds, altering the environment, the way of life for the local population, and the market for this once-delicacy.

Warne is clearly passionate about the subject, but takes a fair and balanced approach to the topic. Let Them Eat Shrimp includes chapters on regions and countries that have recognized the problem and are working to rectify it (such as Eritrea, of all places), as well as those where the mangroves are legally, even constitutionally, protected, but where the on-the-ground practice is to turn a blind eye to wealthy and powerful shrimp farms and developers. (Here's to you, Ecuador.)

Warne, who not surprisingly writes for National Geographic, criss-crossed the globe from the Americas to Asia and Africa to understand the various forces at play and how the dynamics might be changed, the mangroves restored and saved. In that way, Let Them Eat Shrimp is as much travelogue as science, as much about raising consciousness as about guilt. He further reinforces the notion of understanding where our food comes from and choosing what to purchase based on more than the price.

Those who love science and nature writing, travel writing, and serious books that study complex issues and arrive at no easy solutions will especially appreciate Warne's work.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really knew nothing of mangroves before reading this book. Though a bit dry, I learned a lot about the importance of our world’s mangrove forests. And an extra tidbit of info that made me feel a little better about the extravagance of the Super Bowl: the NFL plants tons of trees to make each year’s game carbon neutral.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written. An interesting topic that I had no idea existed but it seems that is exactly what the author is hoping for, to open your eyes. I will now be paying more attention to the origins of the shrimp I buy and will be passing up on anything that says "farmed".

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is truly an outstanding book. I was made aware of the multiple ecological impacts upon the planet's mangroves, and the plants, birds, fishes, animals, and peoples who depend upon them. It is eloquently written but easily understandable to the citizen ecologist. I highly recommend it. 5+.

[Mr.B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wildly mixed bag

Text/Subject matter/Quality of writing. 5 stars

Editing/Proofing/Formatting for Kindle. 1 star

An important study that doesn't appear to have been upgraded since its original marketing on Amazon. Sad.

[Curran Putney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frigg

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

An uninspiring rehash of the old *God gave you this Earth, your sins has corrupted the Earth* the the two millennia goatherds idiocy: repent, fast and maybe god will restore the Earth for you.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title aside, “Let Them Eat Shrimp” by Kennedy Warne is about mangrove ecosystems and the threats facing them. While not an exhaustive natural history of the mangrove trees, and saying very little about the shrimp themselves, this is an important, big picture of the role mangroves play in protecting our world. I was reminded, though not thematically, of “The Underground Girls of Kabul” for the excellent journalism investigating and reporting this subject. The author, traveling, is part of the story but only as one human element – the book is not about him. Nor is this the typical depressing read on the subject of environmentalism (or human rights). This is a report of how we benefit with mangroves in mutuality, not just the consequences of their destruction but some of the solutions for improving their outlook.

One of the first stops is in Bangladesh, the long-protected Sundarbans, with a natural abundance including home to tigers and their prey. However, shrimp fry are caught there in fine-meshed mosquito nets that leave 99% of the bycatch to waste, to stock the abutting shrimp ponds. This poses an economic problem as well – there are practically no alternatives for the people who live there. In Brazil, shrimp farms’ salinity ruins the people’s drinking water and farmlands, but as elsewhere, are not the only threat – eucalyptus tree farming was already there. The introduced business of shrimp farming contrasts with artisanal fisheries, including collection of mud crabs, or, in Ecuador, gathering of cockles. These are areas of economic poverty and environmental racism. Guards from the shrimp farms even shoot at anyone that gets near the facilities – even though they're not stealing, just trying to earn a living as they had before. Fast profits from this industry, as with golf courses and other man-made structures, do more long-term damage than good; the mangrove forests were already central to the homes and livelihoods of the people who live with them. Shrimp seem like an obvious excess to cut out, which is why I guess the book is titled as it is.

The second half or so is less about shrimp farming and more about the need for mangrove conservation in general. The author went to Bimini in the Bahamas, where Martin Luther King Jr. went to write speeches, including his last, and Ernest Hemingway went to fish and shoot to kill sharks (he misunderstood them). A shark research and conservation center has been set up there; like other species, they use the mangroves as nurseries. Warne also goes to Belize to see the various components of a dwarf mangrove ecosystem, including many unique invertebrates that play their own functions. The dwarf trees have evolved to function at that size, and though they are efficient at taking up nutrients, the trends of excess are toppling these botanical treasures. With the same biocomplexity specialist, he goes to Panama, returning there at the end. Charcoal from mangrove poles is a big use, but in a place where garbage is choking up the waters, they are at least striving for a sustainable harvest of this fuel source. He turns to Malaysia to cover carbon sequestration and the undervalued role of mangroves; to Florida, where restoration is underway; and Eritrea, which is proving to be a success story of working against poverty.

Meeting with world experts, both scientists and community members, we get a clear sense of the importance of mangroves (which the author thinks of as an “underdog”) in the health of the globe itself. In terms of restoration, which is more than simple reforestation, abandoned shrimp ponds are good candidate sites (and also account for so much of the loss). Propagules, the seeds or seedlings of these trees, are mentioned, but a little hard to picture; having color photos included is a bonus, but as stated above, this isn’t in-depth natural history of any one organism. Providing area in hectares as well as acres helps to get an idea of these sites whichever way works best for you.

I did not know much about mangroves, but have a much greater appreciation for them now. They are also essential coastal protection and buffer zones, and provide so many benefits to so many: directly for people living by them, more subtly for the rest of the world. This book was published in 2011, so I wonder how things compare five years later, especially with regards to climate agreements. My review may be overdue, but this book is just as relevant now, and one of the best I have read in this category. Read, learn more about mangroves, do what you can to save and restore them.

Note: I received this book courtesy of Island Press in exchange for an honest review. For more reviews, follow my blog at http://matt-stats.blogspot.com/

“Ya secaron el manglar, ya entubaron la laguna.”
-Malpaís, “Coplas del Cusuco”
La Canción de Adán (2009)

[Julia Van Etten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have only ever seen Florida mangroves so reading this book and learning about so many different mangrove ecosystems all over the world and the issues unique to them or shared by all is really interesting. This book is well-written and reads both like a story and an informational ecology book. My favorite part are the author's insights throughout that make it really relatable and add a lot of context to a subject that some people might not understand the significance of; e.g. quotes like this one: "Standing within the green pavilion, I, too, feel linked to the whole. I imagine a carbon atom in my exhaled breath being fixed in a mangrove leaf that one day drops to the sediment, is macerated by a mud crab, drifts offshore in the organic soup, and is built into a head of staghorn coral that, in twenty years' time, I snorkel past and admire with my grandchild."
I highly recommend this book to everyone.

[Amara Tanith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A copy of this book was provided for free via Netgalley for the purpose of review.

Mangroves are something that I can honestly say I have never considered when it comes to climate change and environment destruction. For all my concerns about the rainforest, the ozone layer, the warming polar regions, and the seemingly infinite other environmental or planetary health issues I'm aware of, disappearing mangroves were never on my radar before Let Them Eat Shrimp--to the point that I didn't recognize that the titular tragically disappearing rainforests of the sea were mangroves in the first place.

As such, I went into Let Them Eat Shrimp with almost zero previous knowledge--only a vague awareness of what mangroves actually are, not a clue about shrimp farming, and very little knowledge of almost all of the countries in which mangroves grow. So Let Them Eat Shrimp was an eye-opening experience; it's one of those books that makes me, at least, wish I had a lot more time and money to donate to all the social, political, and environmental causes that resonate with me. And it's certainly one of those books that I can say I'm thrilled to have read and wish more people would read; at the very least, I'd like to see the critical condition of the world's mangroves register on far more people's radar than it does now. Hell, I'd like to see more people know what mangroves are, period.

Let Them Eat Shrimp was a captivating and richly described look into the world of the mangrove, from its destruction to its flora and fauna to the people who still make their livelihoods by hunting and gathering in these disappearing rainforests. I highly recommend the book to anyone who considers themselves an environmentalist, anyone with an interest in or curiosity towards mangroves, or even anyone who might want to know more about the shrimp they bought for dinner.

[Bryan Spellman · Rating 5 out of 5]

61 of 75 for 2015. I may never eat shrimp again. OK That's not true, but having read Kennedy study of the mangrove forests around the world, I have a new appreciation for how our endless shrimp feasts are negatively impacting the climate. Mangrove forests grow around the world in the tropical latitudes. They grow as far north as Florida and as far south as the north island of New Zealand. They can be found on pretty much every continent except Europe and Antarctica, and usually in third world countries were the people who live within the forests or who depend on the forests are barely beyond the hunter-gatherer stage. I knew next to nothing about mangroves before reading Kennedy's work, and now know just a bit more, but enough to know that these relatively unknown and unappreciated parts of the environment are extremely important to our future. Mangroves are incredibly efficient carbon collectors, for example, and if we were to restore the forests we've cut down for shrimp farms, we could possibly reverse the ever growing amount of carbon we release into the atmosphere. Kennedy's book is quite readable, indeed at times seems more like a travelogue than a scientific tome. He takes the reader along to Ecuador, Brazil, Bangladesh, Panama, Tanzania, as well as Florida and other places around the world where humans interact, not always in the best way, with mangrove forests, the forests of the sea. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is a must read for anyone interested in climate change and the future of our world.

[Eunbi Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

painful to read and face the grim current mangroves woods, but I could feel the silver lining beyond from people who care for a part of nature that comprises such small amount but contributes greatly.

I felt like reading a traveling book full of knowledge about mangroves, history, and places that I have never thought I would want to visit. Each chapter's story dealt different factors and perspectives of why mangrove is important, how we are mistreating it, and what we should do to preserve it.

There was a quote that inspired me with the realization of ignorance of what we see natural preservation: "The central factor in restoration is topography. If the elevation is too high, the site won't be flooded often enough. Too low, and it will be flooded too often. ... people have spent millions of dollars planting mangroves on mudflats, and they wonder why. ... I could be polite and they're misinformed, or I could be impolite and say they're stupid."

Highly recommendable for everyone, light but deals with very important matter.

[Charles Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of us never stop to wonder where the dish we eat in some fancy restaurant comes from. What, for instance, does that dish of succulent shrimp in front of you have to do with murdered fishermen in Honduras or killer hurricanes on the Gulf coast?
In Let Them Eat Shrimp: The Tragic Disappearance of the Rainforests of the Sea, Kennedy Warne writes about the disappearance of the world’s mangrove forests, nearly impenetrable masses of trees and plants along some of our shorelines that serve as great breeding grounds for shrimp and other marine species. In easy-to-understand, nontechnical language, he shows how the rampant exploitation of these irreplaceable resources impacts peoples’ lives, local economies, and the global ecosphere. Warne details, in stark words, how the world’s fate is inextricably linked to the fate of the mangroves.
He gives you something to think about the next time you order a shrimp cocktail.

[Alex Tilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute must read for anyone; from those of you who always knew there was something up with shrimp buffets, to those of you who never cared enough to think about it. The author gives myriad reasons for why the destruction of mangrove ecosystems worldwide should be cause for widespread alarm, yet it is still far from a pressing agenda. This is an accessible insight into the beauty and absolute pricelessness of this ecosystem currently being wiped out by a market driven by cholesterol munching developed nations who should know better.
Probably my only niggle is that he doesnt reference the scientific work he is referring to, which as a scientist is immensely frustrating, not only for follow up reading, but also for acknowledging those who worked hard to push the frontiers of understanding.

[Steven R Blackwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sobering but thrilling adventure!

An eye opening first hand account of an ecosystem that had passed under my radar. People, food security, poverty and wealth all written beautifully with vivid detail. You will think twice before you order another bucket of shrimp. Is it farmed? Is shrimp farming good for the environment and for people? The writer believes there can and must be a balance. You will view shrimp and the beautiful mangrove tree in a more critical and thoughtful perspective after reading this fine adventure. Don't fear this book. It's not a dry non-fiction report of gloom and doom. As a matter of fact, the title does it a great disservice. This truly an adventure and a sobering wake-up call about how we treat people and our environment. Dive in!

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kennedy Warne has opened my eyes to the dynamics of mangroves, their local populations and the adverse effects shrimp farming has on both. You see over the past few decades shrimp farming has become a BOOMING business. Yes they produce jobs (often dangerous) and those of us in the 1st world countries enjoy a "limitless" supply of the "pink gold". However shrimp farms have another side to them. The removal/destruction of mangroves plus the loss of a major source for the locals livelihoods, food and way of life are just a few. In Let Them Eat Shrimp you learn about the many aspects of this ecological issue.

[Meowzette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think before you eat!

I confess I don't eat shrimp, but I do try to educate myself so my choices serve a greater purpose than just filling up the tummy. This book is extremely eye opening and were I a shrimp eater before reading it, I doubt I would be one after.

The author very deftly leads us through the world's diminishing mangroves; introducing us to the native populations that survive in the world these forests create.

Although there is much to be sorrowful over in these pages, I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn a little more about where their food comes from. All is not completely tragic however, there is hope in it too - I dare you to read it and find out. :)

[Kristina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although the author traveled around the planet, telling the story of individual mangroves, the stories felt a bit redundant. Although I am not a fan of farm raised shrimp and sea-side golf courses, I would have liked the book to have shown the perspective of these enterprises, instead of just categorically labeling them as evil. It is a bit insulting to the reader to just approach this topic completely from one side. None the less, this book brings awareness to the plight of the mangroves, a subject rarely discussed.

[Srivardhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

From bookhub I got to know that this book was free in Google playstore. Am thankful that I had registered in book hub. Else I would have missed this book.
This is a detailed account of deforestation of mangroves. The book becomes boring at times. I have fallen asleep many times while reading this book! I took nearly 6 months to complete this book! But still it's a good read, especially for environmentalists.
Read this book to understand the importance of mangroves and the adverse effects of its extinction.

[Chris Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative

I usually look at environmentalists as extreme, Chicken Little types, and that is usually the case. Not here, as this author obviously completed countless hours of research. This book is informative and exceptionally well written. The author held my interest. I used to live shrimp, but lost my appetite for crustaceans long ago so the book won't change my rating g habits, but nonetheless, I'm glad I read it.

Full disclosure, I received this book through Book Bub free of charge in kindle edition on my iPhone.

[Demi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took a few chapters for me to really get into it, but definitely highlighted the complexities of land use/ natural resource management and development. A good focus on the social as well as the environmental. I love mangroves so obviously I think this book should be read more widely. Didn’t enjoy the start as much. Felt like the book focused more on investigating the shrimping industry than on mangroves (questioned what the book was actually about at first) but I guess adds good ‘shock’ value and it did set the scene for later chapters so it’s a minor inconvenience for me personally.

[Emily King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant account of the current destruction of mangroves and their socio-ecological systems, people and locations around the world. Easy to read for non-environmental science folk and a great travel log at the same time.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was heartbreaking in the best way. Kennedy Warne writes with such depth of emotion for the hunters and gatherers in this book. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the global food system and ecological issues.

[Sharon Moonbeam]

Another example of a food product that is too much of a detriment to the planet. It's more important than ever before to eat consciously. Know where your food comes from. It's not a good place more often than not. Simple supply and demand. Stop eating it and they will stop producing it.