Shrimp; Farmed

Shrimp

Shrimps belong to the order Decapoda, a crustacean order which also includes the lobsters, true crabs, and hermit crabs. All decapods possess a full carapace or “head shield”, and, eponomously, five pairs of walking legs. Their first three pairs of thoracic appendages are modified into “maxillipeds”, or feeding legs.
Shrimps are distinguished from the other decapods by having the front-most section of the abdomen about the same size as the rest of the sections, and by having five pairs of abdominal appendages, or pleopods, adapted for swimming.
There are more than 3,000 living species of shrimp worldwide. Many are tiny, or inhabit niches unsuited to mass harvest. Those harvested on a commercial basis share two characteristics: they are relatively large, ranging roughly from 2-10 cm. carapace length, and they school, shoal, migrate toward baited traps, or otherwise aggregate so that they are amenable to capture. Worldwide, about 40 species of shrimp meet these criteria and are harvested commercially. About ten species have been raised in captivity; for some species, such as the Pacific white shrimp Penaeus vannamei, selective breeding is developing truly “domesticated” breeds of shrimp.

Most farms in Asia and Central and South America rely upon wild-caught broodstock as the supply of captive-bred broodstock is very limited. The capture of larvae has become a cottage industry in some economically-disadvantaged coastal communities and larva fishing takes a heavy toll of bycatch of the youngest stages of many fish and invertebrates that get caught incidentally. This is a ‘moderate’ conservation concern.

In some areas, stocks of non-native shrimp have become established as a result of escapes from shrimp farms and this is considered a ‘moderate’ conservation concern.

Shrimp farming has spread viral shrimp diseases around the globe and is considered a ‘moderate’ concern globally.

International shrimp farming is associated with continuing reports of nutrient effluent discharge as well as the unregulated use of antibiotics banned in the United States and European Union. Broadly speaking, international shrimp farming is associated with continuing reports of habitat degradation, particularly in coastal regions of southeast Asia and India and is a ‘high’ conservation concern.

Shrimp farms are subject to the various laws and monitoring protocols of each country where shrimp are raised. In many nations laws for environmental protection may not exist or, if they exist, may or may not be enforced. This is a ‘high’ conservation concern.

Is this shrimp farmed or wild-caught? Where is it farmed or wild-caught? How is it farmed or wild-caught?

Contaminant levels do not warrant a consumption advisory.

No.