Farmed freshwater prawn production globally expanded by a factor of 3.5 in the 7 years from 1984 to 1991 but declined by 17% to 31 235 tin 1992. This was caused by a 53% reduction in the output of Taiwan due to disease and in‐breeding problems, partially compensated by increases elsewhere, notably in India and Vietnam. This paper reviews the scientific literature published between 1989 and 1994 on the culture of the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man 1879) and summarizes earlier work. Broodstock and larval studies, nutrition, grow‐out management, genetics, integrated aquaculture and disease and water quality are covered. Finally, a brief summary of the status and characteristics of prawn culture in the major farming locations is presented, together with some comments on the opportunities and constraints for further development.

A review of the current status of freshwater prawn farming globally, with comments on the statistical information available is provided in this symposium keynote paper. A brief overview of the research on freshwater prawn farming that has been published in international journals since 2000 is also provided. Finally, some research needs are listed and some scenarios for future expansion are explored.

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In welcoming participants to Giant Prawn 2011, the authors briefly review the current scale of this component of global aquaculture. The expansion of freshwater prawn farming over the 30 years since the first global conference on this topic [Giant Prawn 1980] is examined. At the time of GP1980, the output of farmed giant river prawns (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) was <3000 t. Almost three decades later (2009) the total annual aquaculture production of all species of freshwater prawns had risen to almost 444 000 t, with a value of US$2.2 billion. The farmed production of M. rosenbergii constituted 51.7% of the global total, while the oriental river prawn M. nipponense (reared totally in China) contributed 47.2%. The contribution of the monsoon river prawn M. malcolmsonii remains quite small so far, and does not show in the above percentages because no recent FAO data are available for this species. In 2007, however, the latter species contributed 1.0% of the total global production of freshwater prawns. The major freshwater prawn producing countries are in Asia (e.g. Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam) but Macrobrachium spp. are also farmed in other continents.