Shrimp landings in the Gulf of Mexico were down more than 25 percent off the historical average, but prices for large shrimp are near historic highs, according to the latest data provided by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).
The May catch totaled 10.3 million pounds and, for the year, 23.6 million pounds of shrimp have been caught in the Gulf, 8.6 percent below the 14-year historical average. However, the May catch represented the second straight year-over-year increase for May, according to the Southern Shrimp Alliance, an industry group.
Prices for UN/15 count headless shrimp from the Gulf have been reported at USD 9.37 (EUR 8.28) per pound, near the all-time high price of USD 9.45 (EUR 8.35) per pound, SSA reported. Prices for smaller shrimp are lower, with 41/50 count headless shrimp prices coming in around USD 1.08 (EUR 0.95) per pound, near historic lows.
For the first five months of 2016, landings in Alabama (3.3 million pounds) are the highest recorded over the last fifteen years, while landings in Texas (6.9 million pounds) are the highest since 2012, according to the SSA. Of all the states, only Louisiana has landed less shrimp in 2016 (10.1 million pounds) than in 2015 (10.3 million pounds), the group said.
