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Seafood Watch - Seafood Guide

Shrimp

©Scandinavian Fishing Yearbook/www.scandfish.com
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


Shrimp, Imported Wild-caught

Shrimp trawling accidentally catches and kills more than 1.8 million tons of marine life each year, including turtles, sharks and other animals, accounting for more than 25% of the world's wasted catch.

Consumer Note

The terms "shrimp" and "prawn" are used interchangeably. Shrimp is known as ebi when prepared for sushi.

Summary

Shrimp is the world's most valuable seafood and one of the top seafood choices of U.S. consumers. U.S. shrimp trawlers must adhere to stricter environmental standards than those in other countries and this makes U.S. wild-caught shrimp a "Good Alternative" and imported shrimp is listed as "Avoid."

Wild shrimp is usually caught in trawl nets. These nets catch everything in their path, including endangered sea turtles, juvenile fish, seahorses and other marine life. This unintended catch, called bycatch, is thrown overboard, dead or dying. Shrimp trawling has the highest bycatch of any commercial fishery - for every pound of shrimp hauled in, three to 15 pounds of unwanted animals die in the process.

Although some imported shrimp may have been caught by vessels using devices to reduce bycatch, or gear that allows sea turtles to escape from the nets, it is not always possible for consumers to distinguish these shrimp in the marketplace from those that were caught from vessels with high levels of bycatch.

In addition, warm-water shrimp frequently live in habitats that are easily damaged by the heavy weights used by shrimp trawl nets. This combination of habitat destruction and high levels of bycatch result in an "Avoid" recommendation for imported wild-caught shrimp.

Shrimp from the U.S. (wild-caught and farmed) is a "Good Alternative" to wild-caught imported shrimp. Pink shrimp from Oregon, and spot prawn from British Columbia are "Best Choices."

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