Ecuador’s Shrimp Sector Continues Fight Against Organized Crime

The Ecuadorian shrimp industry continues to battle organized crime attacks, with the latest incident leading to one man being sent to the hospital.

According to Ecuador’s National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA), criminals intercepted a boat working in the shrimp sector in the Gulf of Guayaquil. The attack led to the vessel's operator to a medical facility after receiving first aid from local community members.

The CNA immediately called upon the Ecuadorian Navy in hopes of finding the suspects of the attack but there has been no results as of this writing...

xpert Sea, Conservation International Launch ‘Climate Smart Shrimp’ Pilot in Ecuador

Conservation International and aquaculture tech firm xpertSea kicked off a ‘Climate Smart Shrimp’ pilot in Ecuador, which promotes lower-carbon farming practices and addresses mangrove deforestation.

A press release from xpertSea explained that over 50,000 hectares of mangroves in Ecuador had been destroyed since 1969, and 45% of the loss is attributed to the aquaculture industry, showing a need for habitat restoration in the region.

Both companies involved in the pilot said there had been new laws in hopes of speeding up reforestation, but the process has been slow...

NGOs, Processors Celebrate 15 Years of Fishery Improvement Work in US Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Fishery

Last week, the American Shrimp Processors Association entered the U.S. Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery into sustainability assessments under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Certified Seafood Collaborative (CSC) Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) certification programs, two of the world’s leading wild fishery sustainability standards.

Gulf of Mexico shrimp is the largest warm-water shrimp fishery to enter MSC or CSC RFM certification, and includes white, brown, and pink shrimp from all five Gulf of Mexico states (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas)...

Shrimping Closes in Federal Waters Off Texas on May 15, 2023

Today marks the closure of shrimp trawling in federal waters from 9 to 200 nautical miles off Texas, 30 minutes after official sunset local time, per an announcement from NOAA Fisheries.

The move corresponds to when Texas will close its states waters to shrimp trawling.

NOAA explained that the shrimp fishery is closed every year off Texas to allow brown shrimp to reach a larger, and more valuable, size prior to harvest. The move also helps prevent waste of brown shrimp that might otherwise be discarded due to...

Under the Radar Protein News of the Week

Find a weekly roundup of news from across the protein landscape that flew under the radar this week.

Cultivated Meat Producers Debuts Massive Campus

Mosa Meat, a company on the frontline of the cultivated protein space opened a new 2,760 square metre (29,708 square feet) scale-up facility in Maastricht, The Netherlands on Monday. his fourth facility completes the new Mosa C.A.M.P.U.S. or Center for Advanced Meat Production, Upscaling, and Sustainability for a total footprint of 7,340 square metres (79,007 square feet).

Mosa Meat CEO Maarten Bosch said: "As this scale-up...

Japan: March Shrimp Imports Fall 9.6%; Cold-Water Shrimp from Canada Up 23.5%, Russia Down 40.2%

According to the import customs statistics released by the Ministry of Finance in late April, the volume of shrimp imports in March fell 9.6% year-on-year to 12,987 tons, but the value increased 3.2% to 18,443 million yen ($137.12 million).

The "Other frozen shrimp" category, which includes farmed shrimp such as Vannamei and wild Argentine red shrimp, fell 9.9% to 7,620 tons, while the value increased 1.25% to 9,971 million yen ($74.12 million). February saw a temporary recovery...

Louisiana Sets Opening Date for Remaining Inshore Shrimping Waters

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission set the opening dates for the remaining state inshore waters based on data from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) biologists and public comments.

The Commission action set the opening date of the spring inshore shrimp season as follows:

- That portion of state inside waters from the Mississippi/Louisiana state line westward to the eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River to open at 6 a.m. on Thursday, May 18, 2023...

Del Pacifico Seafoods Partners With Nordstrom Restaurants For Limited Time Menu Offering

Nordstrom Restaurants are once again partnering with the seafood industry. After a successful run with Wild Alaska Pollock in March and April, all Nordstrom Restaurant Group locations in the U.S. will now be serving up Del Pacifico Seafoods’ wild-caught blue Mexican Shrimp Burger for the months of May and June. 

Del Pacifico’s Mexican Shrimp Burger is handcrafted and contains just four ingredients – 100% chopped, fair-trade certified wild-caught Blue Mexican shrimp, black pepper, garlic and olive oil...

American Shrimp Processors Association to Pursue MSC, CSC RFM Certifications

The American Shrimp Processors Association (ASPA) has contracted with Global Trust Certification, Ltd. to complete sustainability assessments of the entire Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery for both the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Certified Seafood Collaborative (CSC) Responsible Fisheries Management certifications.

ASPA noted that MSC is a leading certification and labeling program for wild-caught seafood. It helps provide assurance to fishery and supply chain partners that they are following “global best practice and having a positive impact on the water...

U.S. Shrimp Processors Urge ITC to Maintain Antidumping Duties on Imported Shrimp

The American Shrimp Processors Association (ASPA) said it made its case to “maintain antidumping orders on imported shrimp from India, Thailand, and Vietnam before the International Trade Commission (ITC).”

The Association shared that on April 11, the ITC held a hearing focused on the Third Sunset Review on the antidumping orders. At the hearing, the ASPA presented five witnesses from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida shrimp processors who shared stories about the impact and harm dumped imported shrimp has had on their businesses...

Start Date Announces for Louisiana Inshore Water Spring Shrimp Season

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife (LDWF) held a special meeting to consider setting the opening date in a portion of the state’s inshore waters.

According to information provided by the Department, the season will start at 6 a.m. on Monday, May 1, for the portion of state inside waters from the eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River westward to the western shore of Freshwater Bayou Canal.

“LDWF biologists have monitored hydrological parameters and conducted weekly trawl samples throughout the state's estuarine and nearshore waters since...

GSFF Calls for Proposals for a Study About How to Promote Global Shrimp Consumption Effectively

The Global Shrimp Forum Foundation (GSFF) is a non-profit organisation. Each year, the foundation will use any financial surplus generated from the annual meeting of the Global Shrimp Forum, to contribute financially to projects aligned with the GSFF’s mission. These projects will initially focus on mangrove conservation, aquaculture improvement and precompetitive research.

This year, the GSFF board has decided to use the financial surplus, to support a mangrove conservation project in Indonesia. Furthermore, the GSFF has issued a call for a study to define how global shrimp consumption can be promoted effectively...

Red Lobster Launches Shrimp Trios, Begins Month-Long Make-A-Wish Fundraiser

Red Lobster is bringing new flavor to its Shrimp Trios entrees, including the new Cajun Shrimp Trio featuring Walt's Favorite Shrimp with Cajun remoulade sauce, Cajun shrimp scampi and creamy Cajun shrimp linguini Alfredo.

Don’t worry, the classic Seaside Shrimp Trio is still available, combining Walt's Favorite Shrimp with cocktail sauce, garlic shrimp scampi, and creamy shrimp linguini Alfredo. Both entrées are served with a choice of two sides and everyone's favorite, fresh baked Cheddar Bay Biscuits...

ANALYSIS: Declines in U.S. Shrimp Imports Continue in February

In data released Wednesday, February U.S. shrimp imports fell 20 percent compared to last year, lower than some of the most bearish estimates. Imports were 116.596 million pounds compared to 145.705 million pounds last year. UB Consulting estimated 129.7 million pounds. Please click here for story. 

The decline from all trade partners was broad and swift. All were lower, even Ecuador, which bucked the overall trend in January. India (-14.4%), Ecuador (-4.9%), Indonesia (-26.5%), Vietnam (-49.4%), and Thailand (-61.8%) all dropped sharply...

JAPAN: February Seafood Imports Drop by 3% to 138,834 Tons; Value Increases to JPY 135 Billion

According to February customs statistics released by the Ministry of Finance, imports of marine products (including non-edible products) declined again while the value continued to increase, Suisan Keizai Shimbun reported.

Imports in February amounted to 138,834 tons worth 135,432.18 million yen ($1,020 million), a decrease of 3.0% in quantity from the same month of the previous year but an increase of 9.9% in value. The quantity returned to negative figures for the first time in two months, and the amount...

NaturalShrimp Enters Into Agreement With Homegrown Shrimp For Purchase of Post-Larvae Shrimp

Biotechnology aquaculture company Natural Shrimp announced this week that they have entered into a year-long agreement with Homegrown Shrimp for the purchase of post-larvae (PL) shrimp for stocking in the company’s Webster City, Iowa, and La Coste, Texas, facilities.

“We are very pleased to finalize our agreement with Homegrown whom we consider to be the premier supplier of quality fast-growing PLs in the Country,” said  Gerald Easterling, CEO of NaturalShrimp. “Without the PLs there are no shrimp to grow or sell...

Great Salt Lake Brine Shrimp Fishery Meets MSC's Fishery Standard

Utah’s Great Salt Lake brine shrimp fishery has officially achieved the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) sustainable wild fishery certification, making it the first inland fishery in the United States to earn this prestigious certification.

Brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana) are a small, shrimp-like crustacean that live in hypersaline lake environments and are a vital part of the lake's ecosystem, serving as a food source for numerous bird species and providing an important source of income for local fishermen.

The MSC certification process is rigorous and requires fisheries...

Mississippi Shrimp Season to Start on May 22

The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) announced that the 2023-2024 shrimp season in state territorial waters will begin at 6 a.m. on Monday, May 22.

The MDMR said that all regulations will be in full force and effect, and all boats engaged in fishing and transporting shrimp from Mississippi waters must be licensed or permitted by the MDMR before beginning operations.

Recreational and commercial shrimp season north of the Intracoastal Waterway will close at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2024...

Born in the Pandemic, Biloxi Shrimp Co. Celebrates Its Third Anniversary on National Shrimp Day

Born on National Shrimp Day (May 10) in 2020, Biloxi Shrimp Co. is celebrating its third anniversary as one of the largest direct-to-consumer e-commerce shrimp purveyors in the U.S. in just three short years. Consumers across the country now receive overnight packages of individually quick-frozen Gulf shrimp from Biloxi Shrimp Co. every day.

It's a classic American success story born out of adversity. When the pandemic hit, Mark Mavar and Jonathan McLendon were running...

Greater Demand in China Pushes Shrimp Prices Upward

China’s shrimp market has been bettering this spring, with the country’s full recovery from the pandemic and great demand. In late April, white shrimp prices, for example, have risen to high levels in the Pearl River Delta region, according to statistics from Agricultural Wealth. Their farm gate prices are 35 yuan/jin (1 jin=0.5 kilo) for those weighing about 40 shrimps/jin and 29 yuan/jin for the ones around 50 shrimps/jin. Insiders feel optimistic and think the upward trend will continue later this year...

U.S. Shrimp Import Decline Continues for 9th Straight Month

The trend has continued for U.S. shrimp imports. According to data released today by U.S. Census, shrimp imports have declined for the ninth straight month.

March 2023 imports fell by 23.2% compared to the previous year, and imports sit 18.3% lower year-to-date (YTD). Imports for the month reached 129.5 million pounds, down 39 million pounds from March 2022’s 168.5-million-pound mark. Through the first quarter of the year, shrimp imports have dropped by 89.3 million pounds.

As Urner Barry market reporter Jim Kenny pointed out...

SEA-NL Demands Province Order ‘Serious’, Sweeping Review of Fish-Price Setting System 

Seaward Enterprises Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (SEA-NL) demands the provincial government order a “serious” and sweeping investigation into the broken fish price-setting system after last year’s token review failed to fix it.

“This province’s three largest commercial fisheries — snow crab, northern shrimp, and lobster — are all in chaos this season, and two of them for the second year in a row,” says Ryan Cleary, SEA-NL’s Executive Director. 

“It’s obvious that last year’s lightning fast, three-month...

Global Shrimp Forum Programme Released

After a hugely successful debut, the Global Shrimp Forum is back and this year it is even bigger and better. Once again it will take place in Utrecht, the Netherlands, from 5th to 7th September 2023. The event is already proving enormously popular, with 80% of tickets already sold. A limited number of places are still available here.

More than 100 speakers and panellists have been confirmed and this year, to set the scene, the Forum will open with a leadership panel, including President of Cargill Aqua Nutrition...

Alabama Temporarily Closes State Waters For Shrimping

On Monday, May 1, all inside waters in the state of Alabama closed for commercial and recreational shrimp harvesting. 

The temporary closure was announced by the Marine Resources Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. According to the agency, the temporary closure applies to “all waters north of a line extending from the Florida-Alabama line westward along the shore to Alabama Point; from there along the Baldwin County beaches of the Gulf of Mexico to the intersection with the Territorial Sea Line on Fort Morgan Peninsula...

Under Processed Canned Shrimp Recall Expanded

New York-based Kawasho Foods has expanded the February 26 voluntary recall of its canned GEISHA Medium Shrimp 4oz. to all lots of the product.

The company said it is making a move out of an “abundance of caution due to a concern that there is a possibility that the product has been under-processed, which could lead to the potential for spoilage organisms or pathogens.”

Kawasho Foods said it had received new information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which moved the company to expand its recall...

Ecuador Shrimp Industry Reports More Criminal Attacks

Earlier this month Ecuador’s National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA) reported that the country’s shrimp industry had recorded 28 criminal events against the sector in the first quarter of 2023. And that number continues to grow.

Late last week CNA said that a driver of a truck transporting shrimp on the road to Taura in the province of Guayas was attacked by heavily armed criminals. The driver was seriously injured and one of the four passengers in the truck was also wounded. CNA says that the truck, which was “wrecked,” belonged to...

The ISH Food Company Brings Plant-Based Shrimp to Taylor Swift Fans

Swifties (AKA Taylor Swift fans) going to the Eras Tour at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa this week will have a special offering at concession stands – plant-based shrimp from The ISH Food Company.

Plant-based options at stadiums – especially seafood alternatives – are generally far and few between. However, thanks to a partnership with Legends Hospitality, select concession stands at Raymond James Stadium during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour will be carrying a lemongrass and citrus thyme vinaigrette grain bowl featuring Shrimpish, The ISH Food Company’s plant-based shrimp...

Japan: Shrimp Imports in February Down 3.3% to 13,769 Tons, Value Fell By 1.4% to JPY 18.2 Billion

The Ministry of Finance recently announced that shrimp imports in February were 13,769 tons, down 3.3% from the same month last year, and the value was 18,296 million yen, down 1.4%, reported Suisan Keizai Shimbun.

Among them, the Other Frozen Shrimp category, which includes farmed shrimp such as Vannamei and Argentine red shrimp, increased by 10.1% to 9,197 tons, and the value increased by 5.4% to 11,075 million yen ($84.33 million)...

Frozen Shrimp Brand Scott & Jon’s Unveils 4 New Products

Maine-based frozen shrimp entrée brand Scott & Jon’s will expand its portfolio with four new shrimp bowl products.

The company said the new products are part of a plan to “further the company's position as an industry pioneer by delivering innovation that meets the consumers' demands for both taste and nutrition.”

The new items are all made with Scott & Jon's signature tender and juicy shrimp and include (1) Honey Garlic Shrimp; a nutrient-rich bowl of edamame, broccoli, peppers, and carrots...

Ecuador Shrimp Industry Reports 28 Organized Crime Events Against Sector in First Quarter of 2023

The Ecuador shrimp industry recorded 28 criminal events against the sector in the first quarter of 2023. When looking at the same quarter last year, this figure represents a 35% increase in theft from production units, a 20% increase in product theft, and a 100% increase in the number of injuries.

According to Ecuador’s National Aquaculture Chamber (CNA), organized crime units have been intimidating workers and stealing everything from “balanced food to swimming pool products.” One recent report even claimed that weapons and communication equipment...