Maine fishmonger Glen Libby made a disheartening discovery during brunch on Easter Sunday – the cold water shrimp on the menu at a restaurant up the street from his fish market were from Canada, not New England.
More of the sweet, quarter-sized crustaceans from Canada are turning up in American restaurants and seafood markets since a ban on fishing for Maine shrimp dried up local sources. The value of imports of Canada’s shrimp into the United States grew nearly 20 per cent, to more than $30.5-million (U.S.), from 2013 to 2014, federal statistics say. Canadian deliveries of cold-water shrimp to Maine alone more than doubled, to nearly 100 tonnes, in that time, Canadian authorities said.
The price to American consumers has also risen since the December, 2013, shutdown. Mr. Libby said the inability to sell the popular shrimp is a deep pain in the winter and spring, when customers typically come looking for them. But he said he’d rather wait for the American fishery to reopen than sell the Canadian alternative.
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