Shrimp: Farmed (White)

Pacific White Shrimp, West Coast White Shrimp

Ebi

With worldwide shrimp fisheries at or near maximum sustainable yield, any growth in shrimp production must come from farm-raised shrimp. Many nations are turning to farm-raised shrimp as an attractive source of international trade revenue. The vast majority of farmed shrimp is white shrimp and comes from tropical nations, including India, Thailand, Indonesia, Ecuador, China, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. Shrimp farming has had an adverse effect on coastal habitat, water quality and local village economies.

Farmed freshwater and white shrimp raised on farms using closed systems or inland ponds from the United States are a more sustainable option have recently been identified as a “Best Choice”.

While much of the shrimp sold in North America continues to come from Asian countries, it is expected that more sustainable shrimp farmed in the US will become increasingly prevalent in the marketplace.

In the U.S., producers are currently working with feed manufacturers to decrease the amount of fish required in the feed formulas for shrimp by using plant proteins. Currently, it takes approximately 1.35 kg of wild fish to produce 1 kg of farmed shrimp. This ratio is a moderate conservation concern. It should be noted however that US producers are working with feed manufacturers to decrease the amount of fish required in the feed formulas for shrimp by using plant based proteins.

Escapes have been known to occur from exchanging farms, as evidenced by the occasional detection of White Shrimp in U.S. coastal waters. White shrimp is a non-native species and escapes have been reported and the effects of interactions (both genetic and otherwise) with native shrimp species are unknown. This results in a moderate risk for this criteria.

Where an exchange of water occurs, escaped animals, waterborne vector organisms and/or pathogens would all theoretically have the potential to encounter animals from wild stocks. Since the vast majority of US production comes from exchanging farms, the overall industry ranks “moderate” for risk of disease transfer to wild stocks.

Traditionally, coastal shrimp aquaculture operations pose greater environmental concerns compared with inland farms. Exchanging operations that discharge partially treated effluent water may have been built in areas that were formerly wetlands or marshland, pose a moderate risk.

Regulations regarding site development, effluent release, biological security, drug and chemical use along with all other major aspects of operations are in place and enforced at federal, state and local levels. US shrimp aquaculture management is ranked highly effective.

Is this shrimp farmed or wild?

Where is this shrimp from?

Contaminant levels do not warrant a consumption advisory.

No.