1. En masse in tanks or bins
2. In plastic bags with water and oxygen
3. In chilled sawdust

The use of tanks or bins is usually suited only to short journeys since it involves transporting a large mass of water. To reduce physical damage shrimp can be placed within individual perforated plastic cylinders capped at each end with pieces of netting, or have protective tubes or bands located on sharp rostrums and telsons. These precau-tions are also necessary to prevent puncturing when shrimp are transported in plastic bags (Lee & Wickins, 1992).

The lightweight transport method involving chilled sawdust is particularly suited to airfreight and is regularly perfommed with P. japonicus destined for live sales in Japan. By lowering the temperature the metabolic rate of the shrimp is reduced and the period of survival extended. This transport technique, however, is not suitable for all penaeids; P. semisulcatus for example, die rapidly out of water, and P. monodon cannot withstand temperatures below about 12^°C (Lee & Wickins, 1992).

For all methods involving water attention must be paid to its quality, particularly for extended joumeys. Most important are the levels of oxygen, temperature, ammonia and pH. Oxygen is essential for transport using polythene bags, and a supply of oxygen or compressed air is often needed for tanks and bins. Temperature can be controlled using chill packs and insulated boxes, and in some situations the build-up of ammonia can be delayed by starving the shrimp for 12-24 hours prior to shipping. Although various products including pH buffers and ammonia control chemicals can be added to improve water quality, their overall benefits may be negligible. For air shipments packaging needs to conform to IATA regulations, and labels indicating 'keep cool' and 'consignee inspect on arrival' can be useful (Lee & Wickins, 1992).