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Seafood Watch - Seafood Guide

Northern Shrimp

© Monterey Bay Aquarium
SEAFOODRATINGMARKET NAMESWHERE CAUGHTHOW CAUGHT
Black Tiger Shrimp Best Choice: These fish are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways. Tiger shrimp Ca Mau Province of Southern Vietnam and other areas of Southeast Asia Farmed (Silvofishery) Extensive Mixed Shrimp and Mangrove Forestry Using Selva Shrimp® Criteria
Freshwater Prawn Best Choice: These fish are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways. Giant River Prawn, Malaysian Prawn U.S. Farmed
Northern Shrimp Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Bay Shrimp, Cocktail Shrimp, Salad Shrimp, Ebi U.S., Canadian Atlantic Wild-caught
Pink Shrimp Best Choice: These fish are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways. Bay Shrimp, Cocktail Shrimp, Ocean Shrimp, Salad Shrimp, Ebi Oregon Wild-caught
Rock Shrimp Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Rock Shrimp U.S. Wild-caught
Shrimp Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Brown Shrimp, Pink Shrimp, Rock Shrimp, White Shrimp, Ebi U.S. Gulf of Mexico, U.S. South Atlantic Wild-caught
Shrimp Avoid: Avoid these products for now. These fish come from sources that are overfished or fished or farmed in ways that harm the environment. Black Tiger Shrimp, Tiger Prawn, White Shrimp, Ebi Imported Farmed in Open Systems
Shrimp Avoid: Avoid these products for now. These fish come from sources that are overfished or fished or farmed in ways that harm the environment. Black Tiger Shrimp, Tiger Prawn, White Shrimp, Ebi Imported Wild-caught
Shrimp Best Choice: These fish are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways. Pacific White Shrimp, West Coast White Shrimp, Ebi U.S. Farmed in Fully Recirculating Systems or Inland Ponds
Shrimp Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Pacific White Shrimp, West Coast White Shrimp, Ebi U.S. Farmed in Open Systems
Shrimp Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Pacific White Shrimp, West Coast White Shrimp, Ebi Thailand Farmed in Fully Recirculating Systems
Shrimp Avoid: Avoid these products for now. These fish come from sources that are overfished or fished or farmed in ways that harm the environment. Pacific White Shrimp, West Coast White Shrimp, Ebi Mexico Farmed in Open Systems
Spot Prawn Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Prawn, Spot Shrimp, Amaebi U.S. Pacific Wild-caught
Spot Prawn Best Choice: These fish are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways. Prawn, Spot Shrimp, Amaebi Canadian Pacific Wild-caught


Northern Shrimp

When buying small shrimp for salad or shrimp cocktail, northern shrimp from the Canadian Atlantic is a considered a "Good Alternative," while pink shrimp from Oregon is considered a "Best Choice."

The Oregon pink shrimp, Canadian northern shrimp and Canadian Scotian shelf fisheries are certified as sustainable to the standard of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

Consumer Note

Pink and northern shrimp are small coldwater species typically sold as salad, cocktail or sandwich shrimp. Shrimp is known as ebi when prepared for sushi.

Summary

Shrimp may be divided into three categories based upon habitats: coldwater or northern; warmwater, tropical or southern; and freshwater. Northern shrimp from the Canadian Atlantic are coldwater shrimp.

All shrimp are short lived, fast growers that produce many young, and so are resistant to being overfished. Smaller species of coldwater shrimp, in particular pink and northern shrimp, are typically caught by trawl.

Bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) have brought trawl bycatch down to very low levels in coldwater shrimp fisheries and very few endangered species, such as sea turtles, are caught.

Bottom trawls, however, may cause damage to the seafloor. The trawl method used in the Oregon pink shrimp fishery is deemed less damaging than other bottom trawl gears used in coldwater shrimp fisheries, including the northern shrimp fishery off Atlantic Canada. This therefore results in a recommendation of "Best Choice" for pink shrimp and "Good Alternative" for northern shrimp.

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