March’s Featured Catch: Shrimp
Those who love sustainably caught and traceable wild seafood should look beyond the fillet.
Mar 03, 2025
By now, it’s clear: The responsible way to consume seafood is to know where it’s coming from and who’s supplying it. Generally, farmed fish and shellfish lack the nutrients of wild seafood and can present as many environmental problems as they solve. Plus, some fish marketed as wild are anything but.
Well-managed fisheries in Alaska, which supply Vital Choice with sockeye salmon, cod, and golden king crab (to name a few), follow regulations set forth by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and other oversight entities to ensure sustainability and traceability and prevent overfishing. This allows the fishermen and their families to maintain their livelihoods. As consumers seek out high-protein foods, it’s time to pay attention to where your shrimp and prawns come from, too.
A decade ago, reports emerged about companies using slave labor in some of the world’s poorest countries to peel and devein shrimp, and there are still troubling reminders that these practices haven’t stopped. Meanwhile, some commercially available shrimp are injected with chemicals such as sodium tripolyphosphates to maintain color and texture.
Vital Choice works with responsible fisheries from Mexico up to Alaska to provide sustainably sourced blue shrimp, pink shrimp, and spot prawns without additives or preservatives. This is high-quality, chemical-free seafood you can feel good about eating.
No reason to feel blue about shrimp
The Mexican state of Sinaloa features nearly 400 miles of coastline on the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean, with smaller bays and inlets where blue shrimp live. Of the more than 2,000 species of shrimp, only one has a distinct blue coloring to go along with its sweet, rich flavor.
The company that oversees the blue shrimp catch, Del Pacifico Seafoods, started in 2014 to provide a sustainably caught seafood product that would also help boost the economy of towns in Sinaloa. Vital Choice sells its peeled, de-veined, tail-on, wild artisan blue shrimpin 12-ounce portions (12-15 medium-sized shrimp), and in hand-cut shrimp patties for a delicious seafood burger.
Buying these frozen products does more than setting you up for endless easy weeknight meals. You’re also supporting an ethical company that catches the shrimp with conservation goals while creating jobs for fishermen and their families, who are paid fair wages for peeling, deveining, and packing the shrimp. A portion of the profits is reinvested in the region, according to Israel Magaña Alcocer, sales manager for Del Pacifico. The seafood sales helped fund air conditioning for schools and other initiatives selected by the communities.
Blue shrimp are caught by fishermen who are members of small cooperatives, often working alone or in pairs, in the bays along the Sinaloan coastline. The fishermen steer their 16-foot boats to fishing grounds only about 30 to 45 minutes from shore. They work 12-hour days from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m., catching the blue shrimp in sock-like nets that virtually eliminate bycatch, the unintentional capture of marine animals during commercial fishing. Del Pacifico’s is 3% or lower, which is the best rate in the business, according to Magaña Alcocer. The blue shrimp are brought to one of two facilities for peeling and deveining.
The majority of the world’s shrimp is farmed or caught by large trawlers. Del Pacifico opted to differentiate itself by creating a more upscale product that’s prepared more cleanly, with mandated sustainability and traceability efforts. The company is working on Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification and works with Wholechain, a Michigan-based company that uses blockchain technology to provide traceability and accountability throughout the supply chain; Del Pacifico is the first shrimp producer to be Fair Trade–certified.
In Mexico, blue shrimp are prized for their taste and texture. In coastal towns, raw blue shrimp are sliced and used in aguachile, a bright, ceviche-like preparation made with a mix of lime juice, salt, peppers, and sliced red onions. But blue shrimp can serve as the protein in any dish you like from pasta to grilled skewers, and of course, tacos.
Magaña Alcocer says that blue shrimp are one of the four types of shrimp found off the Mexican coast, along with white, brown, and pink variations. As a reminder that knowing the origin of your shrimp is an important step in the conservation of the species, Magaña Alcocer explains that much of the so-called domestic pink shrimp found in the United States actually comes from Mexican waters and is only packed north of the border.
Unless the pink shrimp is from Oregon
One way to be assured that the pink shrimp you’re consuming is actually domestic is to buy Vital Choice MSC Wild Pink Shrimp from Oregon. Sometimes referred to as “salad shrimp,” the mild, sweet, and small pink shrimp are sourced from the North Pacific Ocean off the Oregon coast.
Because these shrimp come from cold, nutrient-dense waters, they maintain a naturally crunchy texture and an almost bright pinkish-red hue. This makes the shrimp appealing when served cold in a salad, but also provides a pleasing snap in dishes such as the Southern staple shrimp and grits, or mixed into curries with vegetables.
The pink shrimp from Oregon that Vital Choice offers is versatile and easy to use. It comes cooked, peeled, and individually quick-frozen without chemicals, and packed in a resealable bag. Defrost as much as you need then place the package back in the freezer to stand ready for another easy weeknight meal.
Northward bound: Alaskan spot prawns
For those who prefer bigger crustaceans, Vital Choice Wild Pacific Spot Prawns are a larger seafood option than smaller pink shrimp, and in the same ballpark size-wise as blue shrimp — unless you upgrade to jumbo prawns.
By the way, shrimp and prawns are different. In addition to being larger, prawns have straighter bodies, longer legs, multiple sets of claws, and their gills look different.
Spot prawns can be found from Southern California up to the Aleutian Islands. Vital Choice sources its prawns from Southeast Alaska, and ships them cleaned and uncooked with heads removed but the shell and tail on, with no additives or preservatives.
AUTHOR
Richard Martin is a writer, editor, and strategist who specializes in food, drink, and travel. He is the co-founder and editor of Appetito, the new online publication about Italian food and drink, and the co-author of the cookbook series Preserved, from publisher Hardie Grant NA.
