"shrimp" news and stories

BP chief Tony Hayward isn't the only executive putting his foot in his mouth. Fellow BP representative Randy Prescott brought on his own internet firestorm after he was quoted saying, "Louisiana isn't the only place that has shrimp." Ouch.

While it's true that shrimp are indeed harvested in other parts of the world, for those seeking sustainable American wild-caught shrimp, the Gulf has long been an important source. According to a Seafood Watch report, 90 percent of the landings of three major species of shrimp come from the Gulf of Mexico.

On Sunday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) closed fishing in federal waters affected by the massive oil spill in the Gulf, which continues to drift towards Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

This area of the Gulf is prized for its shrimp, oyster and blue-crab fisheries, currently at their peak spawning period. While approximately 80 percent of the seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported -- meaning most seafood lover's dinner plates will not be directly impacted by the spill -- the area's fishery is significant. In 2008, more than 1 billion pounds of finfish and shellfish were harvested from the Gulf region. Experts predict that Louisiana's fishing industry alone could face a $2.5 billion loss.

"This is iconic American seafood," says Gavin Gibbons, spokesman for the National Fisheries Institute. "When you get past looking at the volume of seafood affected, you start looking at the lives impacted, and it's a tough row to hoe for those fishermen."

Consumers who net their seafood in the freezer section may be paying up to $23 a pound for ice, rather than on the shrimp, tilapia or scallops they believed they were purchasing, according to an investigation by the National Conference on Weights and Measures, which tested samples from 17-states, including Florida, California, New York, Wisconsin and North Carolina.

Lisa Weddig, director of regulatory and technical affairs for the National Fisheries Institute, which prompted the four-week investigation, says the ice glaze that's applied to seafood is done to seal in moisture and prevent freezer burn. "But it cannot be included as the weight of the product," she says. Seafood packers who do so are violating packaging and labeling laws.

Over 21,000 packages of seafood were removed for incorrect package weights during the month-long investigation which began at the end of January. In some cases, inspectors found that ice made up to 40 percent of the product's weight. Judy Cardin, Weights and Measures Chief for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, noted that most of the states which spot-checked products reported significant overcharges because of incorrect package weight.

Each Thursday, we round up a selection of scrumptious links from our friends over at YumSugar. Here's what they've got cooking this week:

Serve up fright-night bites, like Vampire Nut Mix, for a last-minute fete.

Once that Jack O' Lantern has served its purpose, turn it into Chicken Pumpkin Stew.

Remember Nestle's Chunky? A slideshow of vintage candy will refresh your memory.

Vote bottoms up or thumbs down on Halloween spirits, including eyeball highball and bloody brain shooters.

Dip into football with shrimp and potato chips.

Do you think "Top Chef" has overcooked itself with the renewal of "Top Chef Masters"?

Anthony Bourdain enters Toon Town with the animated Web series, "Anthony Bourdain's Alternate Universe".

Photo: huggingthecoast.com food blog/Flickr

Shrimp baiting may be nasty and expensive, but for the shrimp festival in Yemassee, S.C., it's cause for celebration.

Crowds will converge upon the low-country town this weekend to feast on shrimp gumbo, meet Miss Yemassee and pay tribute to shrimp baiting. But even Lori Poston, who's chairing the 16th annual festival, cops to being slightly ambivalent about the peculiar regional practice of using a mix of clay and fish meal to lure thousands of wriggling shrimp.

"It stinks to high heaven," Poston says of the traditional bait. "It's the stinkingest thing you ever smelled. When my husband comes back from shrimp baiting, he takes his clothes off at the door."

Shrimp caught using bait don't return in much better shape than the shrimpers, she adds.

"The vein's the main thing," Poston says. "The meal gets into the shrimp and you have to clean the veins. It's nice when you can just free cast without bait."