The invention provides a shrimp preservative prepared from water-soluble chitosan and ginger extract, and a using method thereof. The shrimp preservative is a composite preservative which is formed by taking water-soluble chitosan and ginger extract as main raw materials and compounding the main raw materials with antioxidant, phytic acid, sodium citrate and dextrin. Fresh shrimps or shrimp meat with no head and shell are soaked in seawater or clear water in which the shrimp preservative is dissolved at a temperature of between 0 and 10 DEG C, and then the aims of preventing decay, stopping shrimp heads from blackening, preventing fishy smell from increasing and the like can be achieved. The shrimp preservative has broad application prospects. As the shrimps subjected to freshness-keeping treatment seldom change color or decay in a processing course, are bright in body, pure in taste, strong and elastic in meat, the sensory quality of the shrimps is remarkably improved. The shrimp preservative has the advantages that the shrimp preservative is simple in production method, convenient to use, capable of applying to various types of food processing taking the shrimps as raw materials, remarkable in freshness-keeping effects and capable of keeping the moisture of the shrimps, raising product yield, improving product quality and increasing economic benefit.