Where is your shrimp from?

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:02 pm

I love shrimp and found this to be an interesting read: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125815742158647819.html

DULAC, La. -- Here in coastal Louisiana, where land spreads like lace into the Gulf of Mexico, a fight between shrimpers and shrimp processors is coming to a boil.

For the past decade, the local shrimp industry has battled a rising tide of crustaceans imported from Thailand, Indonesia, Ecuador and elsewhere. The imports have pushed down wholesale prices for the largest domestic shrimp to about $1 a pound, the lowest level in decades.

Now, though, the antagonism is increasingly homegrown. Local shrimpers accuse processors of price-fixing, mislabeling imported shrimp as "domestic" and misusing a chemical designed to keep shrimp fresh, leaving them water-logged and rubbery.

For Louisiana, the stakes are high. Shrimp is America's most popular seafood and Louisiana is the leading domestic producer. Last year, the state harvested 90 million pounds worth $135 million. That compares to 1.6 billion pounds of shrimp imported to the U.S. in 2007, nearly double the 1998 level.

As imports have risen, Louisiana's shrimper ranks have sunk to about 4,700 from 16,500 in 1989.

YARDofSTUF · Post by **YARDofSTUF** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:29 pm

Makes me wonder about the facts on tripoly.

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 8:56 am

A couple of years ago they started a heavy advertising campaign on TV, pushing "local" shrimp instead of imported.

Much seafood has followed that trend, quite a bit of fish is now brought in from fish farms in South America too....naturally hurting local (U.S.) industries and economy.

jeremyboycool · Post by **jeremyboycool** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 3:09 pm

I try to avoid imported fish and shellfish, especially from China. As long as these Louisiana companies are no longer trying to pass imported fish off as domestic fish, then I would have no problem buying their shrimp.

As for the sodium tripolyphosphate, I am sure they are not the only ones using it; seems like a standard corporate tick, to me.

I was think though, they do flash freezing on some boats. So does that mean if you buy shrimp that was flash frozen then you could avoid tripoly?

blebs · Post by **blebs** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 6:16 pm

Up here in Ohio, it's hard to find U.S. seafood in the market places.

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 6:57 pm

jeremyboycool wrote:
As for the sodium tripolyphosphate, I am sure they are not the only ones using it; seems like a standard corporate tick, to me.

I was think though, they do flash freezing on some boats. So does that mean if you buy shrimp that was flash frozen then you could avoid tripoly?

Although they say it's added as a processing agent, I wouldn't be surprised if it's sprayed on before it's frozen.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_triphosphate

Assuming here, given the way freezing-thawing-freezing is frowned upon.

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 7:01 pm

http://www.cheftalk.com/cooking_article ... hrimp.html

http://www.saudi-fisheries.com/EN/Compa ... ecking.htm

jdmcrx · Post by **jdmcrx** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 1:20 pm

Mayport, which is an area just north of us(15 mins). God I love Florida.
matt

OSULLY · Post by **OSULLY** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 7:01 pm

Methinks it might give US fisheries a chance to recover.

Dan · Post by **Dan** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 7:41 pm

Humboldt wrote:Where is your shrimp from?

mostly from mexico and Vietnam

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 8:01 pm

Dan wrote:mostly from mexico and Vietnam

I'd love to buy "local" but when I go to Winco I see massive shrimp from Vietnam that are $8.99 lb, just frickin huge, compared to domestic that are tiny, often look pretty ill, and are close to twice the price.

RoundEye · Post by **RoundEye** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 1:44 pm

Between hurricane Katrina and imported shrimp, the shrimping industry has been hit hard down here. In a world economy only the strong will survive unless there is government intervention.

jeremyboycool · Post by **jeremyboycool** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:10 pm

I was checking the shrimp at Safeway yesterday, only one brand didn't have sodium tripolyphosphate listed in the ingredients and none of them was from the USA.

jeremyboycool · Post by **jeremyboycool** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:19 pm

Humboldt wrote:I'd love to buy "local" but when I go to Winco I see massive shrimp from Vietnam that are $8.99 lb, just frickin huge, compared to domestic that are tiny, often look pretty ill, and are close to twice the price.

I wonder if the difference is wild-caught vs. farm-raised shrimp. It's like organic fruit and vegetables, they seem to me, wilted, small and overpriced when comparing them to the GE equivalent.

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 10:38 pm

I love shrimp... one of a few things of sea food I'll eat but I don't care where it comes from as long as it tastes good on the plate and is cheap.

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 10:48 pm

Sava700 wrote:I love shrimp...

We have Chinese buffet here that has really decent seafood. All you can eat so I try to start with their sushi and some of the veggies...then move on to the oysters and mussels and King Crab and finally the popcorn shrimp. Love that stuff. I try not to have any until I'm 6 plates or so into the meal or else that's all I'd eat

Some very large locals who come in and do exactly that, all you can eat popcorn shrimp. I watched one guy go through 8 tall plates piled as high as he could.

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 10:50 pm

Sava700 wrote: I don't care where it comes from as long as it tastes good on the plate and is cheap.

Tastes good and cheap are both pluses but when possible I try to support local economies. With shrimp the quality just isn't there right now though, the foreign shrimp is much bigger and nicer looking at a better price.