Summary
The USA shrimp industry has taken its share of hits lately. The imports form China, Cental and South America have caused the prices to drop to a point where US wild shrimp just seems to expensive to the average consumer. This may be about to change, as we look more closely at what is happening with the Ecuadorian farmed supply.
Analysis
I am not applauding the Ecuadorian problems in their shrimp industry, quite the contrary. However, the issues that they now face may give the USA's industry an opportunity to reacquaint the USA consumers to the differences, that are dramatic, in its wild shrimp. Issues like taste, texture and firm meat.
The issues facing Ecuador are not unique to their farmed shrimp industry, the devastation to the mangroves in all the areas that shrimp are farmed, are under stress and in serious trouble. This is a segment of the aquaculture industry that has not solved their environmental issues, and are being taken to task on them. Good for the environment, bad for the supply of inexpensive shrimp. (for this discussion we are excluding China in the mix)
Where there are farmed, coastal shrimp, there seems to be huge devastating impacts to the mangroves that are irreversible. That must change, and in the interim the wild shrimp being caught should be able to provide some of this loss of supply. The USA industry has suffered with inexpensive imports and losses in market share. The wild product is really a different animal, but to some if not all consumers "price is king". With the volumes of imports increasing yearly, the wild industry has suffered. Bobby Jindal, in Louisiana, has been trying to re write legislation to promote wild shrimp. Efforts are equally being tried in the other regions of shrimp fisheries. But I do not think you can legislate "taste". The one major difference in the wild catch that stands out is its unique taste, but we need the consumers to try to remember what that was like. A shortage of imports may just force the consumers to the wild catch, and who knows what might just happen. It's got to be a good thing for the wild shrimp industry in the USA.
