Shrimp is a way of life in South Louisiana. Generations of white-booted shrimpers trawl for the popular crustacean year-round, and diners expect to find it in various forms on nearly every regional menu they meet. Called the “gateway drug” to other seafood, shrimp is an accessible, versatile ingredient that hooks children and adults in bisques, salads, po-boys and fried seafood platters.
But is the shrimp you’re eating actually from the Gulf of Mexico?
Even here in Baton Rouge, a short drive from where shrimp are landed and processed, there’s a good chance that what you’re consuming isn’t always from domestic waters. In fact, fishing industry experts say the majority of seafood consumed in the United States—about 90%—is imported. It’s even higher for shrimp, a food rife with political and social baggage, from the pervasive slave labor practices recently revealed in southeast Asia to diminished prices in the U.S. caused by years of cheap imports.
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