When the global shrimp industry talks about growth, the conversation usually starts with vannamei. Black tiger shrimp gets attention for its premium positioning, while other marine shrimp species occupy smaller markets.
But sitting outside this mainstream competition is another product: the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii.
It is larger, visually distinctive and produced in freshwater systems. It has been farmed and traded internationally for decades, yet its global market remains much smaller than that of major farmed marine shrimp.
That creates an interesting question for the seafood industry: does freshwater prawn have the characteristics needed to move from a specialised product into a larger global market?
A Different Product in a Shrimp-Dominated Market
Freshwater prawn should not be viewed simply as another alternative to vannamei. It is a different product with a different production system, appearance and eating experience.
The species is particularly known for its large size, including the pronounced claws that develop in mature males. These characteristics give it a visual identity that is very different from the standard shrimp consumers often see in frozen retail packs.
That difference can matter commercially.
In a market dominated by products competing on scale and price, a product with distinctive physical and culinary characteristics has another possible route to the consumer: differentiation.
Freshwater prawns do not necessarily have to become a cheaper substitute for marine shrimp. They can instead be positioned as something consumers choose because they want a different seafood experience.
The Market Already Exists
This is not an entirely new product looking for its first international buyers. Freshwater prawns have already entered markets outside their traditional production regions, including restaurant and retail channels.
The important point is that the species has demonstrated that it can travel beyond producing countries. The challenge is expanding that demand and making the product more familiar to consumers.
That is where market positioning becomes important.
A commodity shrimp can be sold largely on specifications such as size, price and supply consistency. A more specialised product may need a stronger story around its origin, appearance, preparation and eating quality.
For freshwater prawn, that story is already there. The question is whether the industry can communicate it effectively.
Where Could the Prawn Fit?
The strongest opportunity may not be in competing directly with low-cost commodity shrimp.
Consider a restaurant serving a large whole prawn on a grill. The shell, colour and size are part of the presentation. The customer is not simply buying a certain number of grams of seafood; the appearance and experience are part of the dish.
That creates potential space in premium foodservice, hotels, resorts, seafood restaurants and specialised retail.
Product format can expand that opportunity further. Whole shell-on prawns can target one consumer segment, while peeled, cleaned or ready-to-cook products can appeal to another.
This distinction is already visible across European shrimp markets, where large shell-on products and smaller peeled products occupy different commercial segments and price positions. (CBI)
The lesson is important: the market for a species is not determined only by the species itself. Product format can determine who buys it and why.
Why Has It Remained a Niche?
The biggest obstacle may be that freshwater prawn has to compete against a very efficient commodity shrimp industry.
Vannamei has become deeply integrated into international processing and retail supply chains. Its availability in large volumes and competitive pricing have helped it take a dominant position in mainstream markets.
Europe offers a useful illustration. CBI's market analysis describes black tiger shrimp as having increasingly moved into niche foodservice and retail segments as lower-priced Pacific white shrimp took a larger share of the mainstream market. (CBI)
Freshwater prawns face a related challenge, although their market position is different.
If buyers are looking purely for inexpensive shrimp in standardised formats, there is little reason to choose a more specialised product.
But if the buyer wants size, presentation, differentiation or a particular eating experience, the calculation changes.
That is where freshwater prawn may have more room.
Consumer Familiarity Could Be the Next Hurdle
There is another challenge that has little to do with farming: consumers need to know what to do with the product.
Someone familiar with vannamei already knows what peeled frozen shrimp looks like, how it is packaged and how it can be cooked. A large freshwater prawn may look unfamiliar to a consumer who has never bought it before.
That creates a marketing problem.
Restaurants can help solve it by putting freshwater prawns on menus. Chefs can demonstrate grilling, curries and other preparations. Retailers can sell cleaned and ready-to-cook formats. Food brands can provide recipes and preparation instructions.
The objective is to turn the product from “something unfamiliar” into “something I know how to cook.”
That transition can be important for any seafood species trying to move beyond a niche market.
India Already Has a Scampi Industry
India provides an especially relevant case because it already has commercial experience with freshwater prawn, commonly known as scampi.
MPEDA classifies scampi as Macrobrachium rosenbergii and lists it among India's important seafood species. (MPEDA)
But India's production figures also show why the market question matters.
MPEDA data show scampi production rising from 21,317 tonnes in 2021–22 to 24,769 tonnes in 2023–24, before falling to 21,031 tonnes in 2024–25 and 18,960 tonnes in 2025–26. Overall, production in 2025–26 was about 11% below the 2021–22 level. (MPEDA)
The numbers suggest that increasing production alone is not the whole story. For a species with a longer culture period and different economics from marine shrimp, the availability of a strong market becomes particularly important.
If producers are going to dedicate ponds and capital to scampi, they need buyers who value the product sufficiently.
A Different Route to Growth
That is why the future of freshwater prawns may depend on market segmentation rather than mass-market competition.
Instead of trying to make freshwater prawns compete with vannamei in every category, the industry could focus on markets where their characteristics have greater value.
A large whole prawn can be positioned around presentation and restaurant dining. Premium frozen products can target consumers looking for something different from standard shrimp. Ready-to-cook formats can reduce preparation barriers. Regional cuisines can introduce the species to consumers who are already comfortable eating seafood.
This approach also changes the question for exporters.
Rather than asking, “How can we sell freshwater prawns at the same price as commodity shrimp?”, the industry can ask, “Which consumers are willing to pay for the characteristics that make freshwater prawns different?”
That is a much more useful market question.
The Opportunity Is Not Just About Export Markets
There is also potential beyond international trade.
A stronger domestic market could provide another outlet for producers, particularly in countries such as India where seafood consumption patterns are highly regional.
Scampi can be introduced through restaurants, premium seafood counters, modern retail, chef-led food experiences and ready-to-cook products. Its large size also gives it an advantage for visual marketing, something that can be difficult to communicate with standard frozen commodity products.
For consumers, the message is simple: this is not just another shrimp.
It is a different type of prawn with a different eating experience.
Can It Become a Major Global Category?
Freshwater prawn does not need to become another vannamei to be commercially successful.
The global seafood market is large enough to support products with different price points, formats and consumer identities. European seafood markets already demonstrate how shrimp can be divided into mainstream, premium, foodservice and specialised segments rather than functioning as one uniform category. (CBI)
For freshwater prawns, the opportunity may therefore be to build a stronger identity within those segments.
That requires reliable production, consistent quality, suitable processing, market access and, perhaps most importantly, consumer familiarity.
The Bigger Question
The freshwater prawn industry already has the species, farming technology and established markets.
What it needs is a bigger reason for more consumers to choose it.
That could come from premium restaurants, new product formats, domestic seafood culture, specialised retail or export markets looking for differentiated products.
The future may not be about making freshwater prawns the next vannamei.
It may be about making consumers understand why they should choose a freshwater prawn when they already have so many other shrimp options.
If the industry can answer that question, Macrobrachium rosenbergii may have considerably more room to grow in the global seafood market.
