Common Name	White Shrimp	Conservation Notes
Scientific Name	(Farfante)Penaeus setiferous	Sustainability Information
Market Names	Shrimp	Buying Tips
Sushi Name	Ebi	Health/Nutrition

White Shrimp Market Alert - updated January 2012

Shrimpers in Louisiana were saying that last fall’s white shrimp season was the worst they had seen in a long, long time. In September, the peak of the season, docks that usually offloaded 400,000 pounds a month were lucky to get 100,000 pounds of shrimp. “I've been in the shrimp processing business for 34 years, and this is the worst fall shrimp season I've ever seen,” said Danny Babin, general manager of Gulf Fish Inc. in Houma.

In a good year, Gulf shrimpers will land about 100 million pounds of headless white shrimp, with about 60-70% of the harvest coming from Louisiana waters.  Of course the big question on the docks throughout the bayous:  Was the 2010 BP oil spill and the subsequent use of millions of gallons of chemical dispersants the cause of the poor shrimp season? While BP did agree to double the compensation it was paying shrimpers to four times their 2010 losses after it became apparent how poorly the season was faring, biologists were quick to point that the issue is more complex. They said record flooding last spring, which could have washed larvae out to sea or made it tough to survive due to low salinity, may have also had a significant impact.

Regardless, Gulf shrimpers were feeling great pain, as prices failed to rise in spite of the shortfall in production. This is due to the fact that all three species of shrimp fished in the Gulf account for less than 15% of the total U.S. shrimp supply, which was up another 3% at the end of November. At the end of this January,  21/25, headless, shell-on white shrimp were wholesaling for $6.25/lb., the exact same price as a year ago. 

Conservation Notes

Life History/Inherent Vulnerability: White shrimp are highly fecund, allowing them to rebound quickly from unfavorable environmental conditions, according to the Blue Ocean Institute.

Status of Stocks/Abundance: The population levels of white shrimp are high and overfishing is not occurring, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Fishing Impacts on Habitat: Although fishermen use a variety of gear to catch white shrimp, the otter trawl is the most common. Since this gear is meant to maximize contact with the ocean bottom, it can harm marine organisms, damage the seafloor, disturb sediment, lower sea grass production, and cause an increase in algal blooms. Trawling also occurs in the same areas annually, according to the Blue Ocean Institute.

Bycatch, Nature and Extent: According to the Blue Ocean Institute, thousands of sea turtles are caught in shrimp trawls annually in the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Since shrimping trawlers interact with sea turtles so much, U.S. shrimpers are required to have turtle extruder devices. Compliance varies but is good in the southeast Atlantic coast shrimp fishery, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. The shrimp fishery also contributes to mortality in Gulf of Mexico red snapper, which has been overfished for decades.

Management Effectiveness: Commercial shrimp fisheries are working on reducing bycatch impact through time-area closures and bycatch reduction devices, according to the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service. The white shrimp fishery abundance is monitored by the NMFS.

Sustainability Information

	Seafood Watch	SeaChoice	FishWise	Blue Ocean Institute	New England Aquarium	Marine Stewardship Council
U.S. South Atlantic, U.S. Gulf of Mexico Wild-caught	Good Alternative	Some Concerns	Good Alternative	Yellow
International Wild-caught	Avoid	Avoid	Avoid	Red

Rating Explanation

Seafood Watch and Blue Ocean Institute both evaluate white shrimp in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and U.S. South Atlantic in single assessments.

Buying Tips

• U.S. white shrimp are caught from August to November, and are usually available frozen as tail meat year-round
• White shrimp is low in saturated fat and is a very good source of selenium and vitamin B12
• Buyers recommend asking for specific moisture content since processors sometimes undercook the shrimp to increase weight
• Random tests are recommended to ensure that the shrimp that arrives is actually what was ordered
• Most shrimp is treated with the preservative sodium tripolyphosphate, but too much will make the shrimp appear translucent and give them a soapy feel
• Many fishermen prevent black spots on shells by using bisodium sulfates but overuse causes pitting on the shells

Nutrition and Health

Acknowledgements

• Seafood Watch by Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Blue Ocean Institute
• SeaChoice
• Seafood Choices Alliance
• Environmental Defense Fund
• NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service