Shrimp: Pink

Ocean shrimp, Smooth pink shrimp, Ocean pink shrimp, Oregon pink shrimp

Ebi

While much of the shrimp that is available in the market are warm water varieties, Pink shrimp are one of several species of coldwater shrimp that are available to consumers. Pink shrimp range from the Aleutian Islands to Baja California and concentrations generally remain in well-defined areas from year to year. Shrimp fisheries occur off the entire North American Pacific coast, but target species and gears used vary between and within states and provinces. Pink shrimp caught in Oregon and Washington states are fished with trawl gear, but are generally not in contact with the sea floor; this is thought to reduce their overall impact to delicate coldwater marine habitats.

This species exhibits density-dependent sex change, and there is evidence that the growth rate of Oregon pink shrimp has increased as fishing pressure has increased. All shrimp species are fast-growing and have a short longevity and are generally resilient to fishing pressure.

In Oregon, the shrimp population began to show signs of being “fished down” in the late 1970s. Catch age composition, shrimp size, and Catch Per Unit Effort have remained at late 1970s levels. The Oregon pink shrimp appears to be fully-fished.

According to the Oregon Trawl Commission, bycatch in the fishery is currently at about 0.7 – 2.5% of total catch. Despite the continued catch of juvenile rockfish, the pink shrimp fisheries in both Washington and Oregon both rank as a low conservation concern.

The semi-pelagic trawl configurations used to catch pink shrimp off the coast of Oregon and Washington are designed to fish a bout 33 cm or more off the surface of the seabed. There is limited gear to seafloor contact with these off bottom trawlers, but specific studies have not been carried out on the impacts of these types of gears on the seafloor, resulting in a moderate conservation concern.

Management for the Oregon pink shrimp fishery uses research survey and/or in-season monitoring to judge stock abundance, and the fisheries are comprehensively monitored and enforced.

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Pink Shrimp from Oregon represent a “Best Choice”

Contaminant levels do not warrant a consumption advisory.

Yes. The Oregon pink shrimp otter trawl fishery was certified as sustainable to the standard of the Marine Stewardship Council in December 2007.