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Shrimp, Northern
(U.S. and Canadian Atlantic, Wild-caught)
Rating:
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) .
Market Names:
Bay Shrimp, Cocktail Shrimp, Salad Shrimp, Ebi
Consumer Notes:
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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