Download Our App

Sign Up for E-news
Seafood Watch
Home Seafood
Recommendations Seafood
Search Pocket
Guides Mobile
Guides Sushi Seafood &
Your Health Chart of
Alternatives

Seafood Search

A-N
O-Z

Octopus
Opah
Orange Roughy
Oysters
Pangasius
Perch
Plaice
Pollock
Pomfret
Pompano
Red Porgy
Rockfish
Sablefish
Salmon
Sanddabs
Sardine
Scad
Scallops
Scup
Sea Turtle
Sea Urchin
Seatrout
Shad
Shark
Shrimp
Skates
Smelt
Snapper
Sole
Spearfish
Squid
Striped Bass
Sturgeon
Swai
Swordfish
Tilapia
Tilefish
Totoaba
Trevally/Jack
Trout
Tuna, Albacore
Tuna, Bigeye
Tuna, Blackfin
Tuna, Bluefin
Tuna, Canned
Tuna, Skipjack
Tuna, Tongol
Tuna, Yellowfin
Wahoo
Walleye
Weakfish
White Seabass
Whitefish
Wreckfish
Yellowtail

A-N
O-Z

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, Thailand Farmed

Most imported farmed shrimp should be avoided due to habitat damage, the risk of pollution, disease and the introduction of non-native species to the surrounding environment. However, some farms in Thailand use fully recirculating ponds that reduce these risks. Shrimp from these farms is a "Good Alternative."

Consumer Note

For the most sustainable product, look for shrimp raised in fully recirculating tanks or ponds. The terms "shrimp" and "prawn" may be used interchangeably. Shrimp is known as ebi when prepared for sushi.

Summary

Shrimp is the most popular and valuable seafood in the U.S. Most shrimp consumed in the U.S. is imported and Thailand is the single largest exporting country. All shrimp imported into the U.S. from Thailand is farmed.

In Thailand, large areas of coastal mangrove forests have been cleared to build shrimp farms. Mangroves are an important habitat for a diverse community of fish, invertebrates, plants and birds. The loss of this habitat has devastating impacts on local communities and the artisanal fisheries and foraged foods that these people rely on.

Mangrove destruction in Thailand is now illegal and, thanks to replanting efforts, these forests are now increasing. However, pollution released from shrimp farms remains a concern for these sensitive habitats, especially in areas with large numbers of shrimp farms .

Escapes are also a consideration as Thailand, like many other shrimp producing countries, now farms a non-native white shrimp instead of the native tiger shrimp. The potential impact of escaped white shrimp is still being studied.

About 75 percent of shrimp farms in Thailand are not fully recirculating. They release water and waste products from the ponds into the environment as the shrimp is being raised or, in the best case, just once when the shrimp is harvested. Concerns about pollution, disease and the escape of non-native shrimp result in an "Avoid" recommendation.

The remaining 25 percent are fully recirculating farms, which treat and reuse water for multiple crops of shrimp without releasing it to the environment. These practices not only reduce pollution, but also decrease escapes of non-native shrimp and the spread of disease. For these reasons, Thai shrimp farmed in recirculating systems are a "Good Alternative".

Consumers should "Avoid" farmed shrimp from Thailand unless they can be certain that the shrimp are from farms using fully recirculating systems. Thai shrimp from fully recirculating farms is a "Good Alternative."

Scientific Reports About Our Ratings
Seafood Watch Card Print a pocket-size Seafood Watch guide to take with you.
Download a guide now
Mobile phone users log on to mobile.seafoodwatch.org.

iPhone® and iPod touch® users, you can get the most up-to-date Seafood Watch recommendations on your iPhone or iPod touch.

How fish are caught or farmed makes a difference.
Learn more
 Fishing boat