Shrimp, Pacific Pink ("Oregon")
Unlike imported shrimp, wild-caught U.S. shrimp is unlikely to contain the drugs and chemicals that are used heavily on many international shrimp farms. The coldwater pink shrimp fishery in the Pacific is most abundant off of Oregon. Oregon pinks are caught with trawls that operate over muddy and sandy bottoms. Several areas have been designated as “no-trawl zones” to protect essential fish habitats and keep shrimping out of hard-bottom areas that may be damaged. Additionally, these trawl boats lower their catch of non-target fish species because the trawls do not generally come in full contact with the seafloor. Although pink shrimp do not grow and reproduce as quickly as warm-water shrimp, they still reproduce relatively quickly. To protect against overfishing, the fishery is closed during the reproductive season, allowing the shrimp to repopulate and reducing the catch of shrimp that are too young to catch.
