**7. Social impacts**

With or without valid arguments, aquaculture has been accused to be the cause of many problems such as environmental, economic, inclusively esthetic, and social impacts [79]. In Vietnam, social impacts associated with shrimp farming include the increase of poverty and landlessness, food insecurity, and impacts on health and education [80, 81]. While there is no recent information regarding the social impacts of shrimp farming particularly the use of alien species such as the *P. vannamei* in the Philippines, Primavera [82] reported that the social costs of intensive prawn farming include the reduction of domestic and agricultural water supplies, decline in quantity of food fish, marginalization of coastal fishermen, displacement of labor, and credit monopoly by big businessmen. The capital-intensive nature of high-density shrimp culture has favored the entry of multinational corporate investors or the national elite. They can provide the necessary capital; have easier access to permits, credits, and subsidies; and can absorb financial risks which are disadvantaged to local communities in coastal areas and small farmers [83]. One main issue in the recent expansion of shrimp culture is social conflicts with other resource users; however, the shrimp culture industry employs thousands of rural people, and it would be far worse off without it [73].
