“Our project aims to support a new farming sector for home-grown king prawns, using indoor closed-system methods, harnessing renewable energy and integrating circular-economy thinking so nothing is wasted," said Project Lead, Professor Rod Wilson.
Photo: Adobe Stock.
A team of UK researchers is piloting land-based prawn production using enclosed tanks, part of an effort to determine whether king prawns could become a home-grown source of low-impact protein. The UK Sustainable King Prawn Project (UKSKPP), led by researchers at the University of Exeter, with the University of Reading and Rothamsted Research, is bringing together scientists, industry partners and policymakers to test how well these closed systems perform in practice.
King prawns are already firmly established among the most popular seafoods in Britain, with a UK market worth more than £300 million a year. According to UK Government figures, in 2023 the country imported 73 thousand tonnes of shrimp and prawns, mainly sourced from Vietnam and India, which together accounted for 42% of the total imports.
The UKSKPP project team says producing the crustaceans in closed indoor systems can be highly space efficient, claiming that a tonne of prawns requires around 50 times less land than the same amount of beef or pork. They add that this kind of compact food production could free up other areas of farmland for habitat restoration or woodland planting - as well as ensuring supply reliability and creating rural jobs.
“Nature restoration is vital, but if we simply take land out of farming this reduces food production, shifting agricultural impacts on the environment elsewhere," said Professor Ian Bateman OBE, via a press release. "King prawn production yields huge quantities of highly nutritious food on small areas providing a great example of how we can spare land for environmental improvements without reducing food output.”
The project was showcased at a recent event hosted by the University of Exeter. “If we are going to feed our growing population over the coming decades – while simultaneously reducing our carbon emissions and reversing biodiversity loss – sustainable aquaculture has to be a major part of food production,” said Project lead Professor Rod Wilson.
He explained that the team aims to support “a new farming sector for home-grown king prawns, using indoor closed-system methods, harnessing renewable energy and integrating circular-economy thinking so nothing is wasted.”
For some experts involved in the project, prawns may only be the beginning of a wider shift to land-based aquaculture.
“Demand for protein in the UK will increase as our population grows. Ensuring we get this extra protein from a sustainable source is imperative, to minimise negative environmental impacts," said Dr Robert Ellis.
"High-tech aquaculture operated in novel locations such as terrestrial farms or urban settings could offer the perfect solution, and place the UK at the forefront of a sustainable seafood revolution.”
The approach is already being tested in the commercial world. Eden Valley Prawns, co-founded by Rastech CTO Dr Andrew Whiston, is currently the UK’s only operating land-based prawn farm. Whiston said the company has demonstrated that the system can work at scale.
“We’ve proved that king prawns can be raised and sold right here in the UK using only seawater, feed, and renewable energy. No antibiotics, no pesticides, no mangrove destruction and minimal food miles,” he said. “The UK can lead the way in onshoring sustainable aquaculture; improving our food security with fresh, healthy seafood we can all enjoy with a clear conscience.”
Despite the enthusiasm, challenges remain. The team acknowledge that the aquaculture sector needs better public understanding, a more developed regulatory framework, technological advances and domestic hatcheries for species such as king prawns. A skilled workforce will also be essential. UKSKPP says it is working with industry and government to address these issues and assess whether land-based prawn farming could become a mainstream part of the UK’s future food system.
The UKSKPP project is not the only initiative aiming to develop homegrown sources of warm-water prawns and shrimp. Eden Valley Prawns is already operating in Scotland, and at least two further UK king prawn farming businesses are planning to scale up from pilot facilities.
Three-Sixty Aquaculture, based in Swansea, Wales, plans to open a new facility to increase production of sushi-grade king prawns to over 2,000 tonnes per year, while Lincolnshire firm Flo-Gro Fresh announced it will begin construction of its prawn farming facility in early 2026, targeting its first harvest during the first quarter of 2028.
Germany's OceanLoop announced last year it had secured a €35 million from the European Investment Bank to construct a first-of-its-kind large scale inland farm for white leg shrimp in Gran Canaria, with an annual capacity of 2,000 tonnes per year.
Last month, French shrimp farming company LisAqua announced it has secured €9 million to scale up its operations and develop its first large-scale land-based shrimp farm in Monthyon (Seine-et-Marne).