Oregon’s 2010 pink shrimp fishery wrapped up just days ago, with all indications pointing toward an above-average season in terms of production.
Meanwhile, New England’s 2010-11 pink shrimp fishery is gearing up for a 1 December opening. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s shrimp committee on Wednesday set the season at 136 days, ending 15 April. Though the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons lasted 180 days each, the 2010-11 season is still considerably longer than in the first half of the decade, when the season never exceeded 100 days.
Last season, the region yielded 5,600 metric tons of shrimp, and the fishery closed early. This season, fisheries managers set a harvest target of 4,000 metric tons and will meet in late February to reevaluate the season. The vast majority of New England’s shrimp catch occurs off Maine.
In Oregon, the pink shrimp fishery winded down on 31 October. Last year, the state produced just over 22 million pounds (nearly 10,000 metric tons) of shrimp, an above-average catch but about 3.5 million pounds under the 2008 haul. Market malaise — not the health of the stock — was primarily responsible for the production drop-off in 2009, according to fisheries managers.
But the market has picked up this year, the result of strengthening demand overseas and a softening dollar against the euro and British pound in the past four months. The bulk of the U.S. pink shrimp catch is exported to Europe, and the United Kingdom is the world’s No. 1 market for coldwater shrimp.
Atlantic Canada is also a major pink shrimp producer. Last year, the region churned out 108,908 metric tons of shrimp, down from 135,308 metric tons in 2008.
Worldwide, an improved market is propping up prices of coldwater shrimp. In early November, frozen Pandalus borealis out of Atlantic Canada was quoted at up to USD 4.75 for 125/175-count, up to USD 4.30 for 150-250s and up to USD 4 for 175-250s. The similar P. jordani is the pink shrimp harvested in the Pacific Northwest.
