Selecting the Most Ecologically Sustainable Shrimp

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U.S. Trap Caught Shrimp is the Best Choice as an Ecologically Sustainable Species

Sustainable species of shrimp are those that can be sustained long-term without compromising their survival or the integrity of the ecosystem in which they live. U.S. trap caught shrimp are your best choice since shrimp caught using this method has low-bycatch (unintended catch of other species of fish). U.S. farm raised and trawl caught shrimp are your next best alternatives. Farm raised shrimp operations in the United States are well regulated with toxic chloramphenicol strictly prohibited; they are also never treated with iodine. U.S. trawling methods are also more ecologically sound than methods used by foreign fishing fleets, outfitted with devices to let turtles and fish escape from their nets.

Imported foreign shrimp should be “avoided”. Fishing methods used to catch them are very detrimental to shrimp habitat and the surrounding ecological environment and there are high levels of bycatch using these methods. Shrimp from the Gulf of Thailand can have 14 pounds of bycatch per pound of shrimp! Since they are not frozen immediately after harvested, shrimp from foreign shrimp farms are also treated with the potent antibiotic called chloramphenicols to keep them white as well as iodine.

*Information from Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch