Coldwater shrimp and prawn, as the name suggests, come from the cold waters of the North and South Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. While warmwater shrimp trump coldwater shrimp in terms of volume, the coldwater shrimp have a special, unique market because of their taste and the environment from which they grow. Coldwater shrimp and prawn take their time to grow, but this cycle allows the flesh to develop a firm texture and complex flavor profile that’s usually juicier and sweeter than tropical shrimp.
Based on FAO fishery production data, ShrimpTails estimates that the total size of the commercially relevant wild-caught shrimp production was around 1.5 million metric tons (MT) in 2017. Out of this total, about 900,000 MT was accounted for by wild-caught warmwater Penaeid species. The remainder, about 600,000 MT, was accounted for by coldwater species.
Shrimptails made a selection of six species which account for 90 percent of coldwater shrimp production, including Argentine red shrimp (P. muelleri), Northern prawn (P. borealis); and several examples of niche products such as Chilean nylon shrimp (H. reedi), Atlantic seabob (X. kroyeri), North Sea shrimp (C. crangon) and Oregon shrimp (P. jordani).
Images courtesy of Shrimptails Magazine/Seafood Trade Intelligence Portal
