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Shrimp

(Imported, Wild-Caught Except Canadian)

Rating:
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.

Market Names:
Black Tiger Shrimp, Tiger Prawn, White Shrimp, Ebi

Consumer Notes:
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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