5 reasons to not eat shrimp

[pixy0stix]

health.yahoo.net/articles/nutrition/5-reasons-never-eat-shrimp-again

Whether you're mingling at a holiday cocktail party, indulging in a southern Bayou-style barbeque, or dining at your favorite seafood restaurant, shrimp are likely on the menu. In fact, Americans eat more shrimp than any other type of seafood by weight. There's just one problem with that: "Shrimp is one of the most -- if not the most -- damaging fisheries around," says Andy Sharpless, CEO of Oceana, the world's largest conservation group focused solely on oceans.

In his new book, The Perfect Protein, Sharpless lays out a plan to create healthier oceans -- and people -- by just saying "no" to shrimp. These unappetizing incentives will help you rethink putting America's favorite shellfish on your plate. (Not all fish are healthy. Here are 12 Fish You Should Never, Ever Eat.)
Shrimp farms are breeding grounds for bacteria and viruses.

The U.S. imports more than 90% of the shrimp we eat -- 1.3 billion pounds in 2011 alone. Much of this shrimp comes from farms in Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Thailand, where shallow pools are often overloaded with shrimp, paving the way for nasty diseases that can destroy entire colonies. And get this: Only 2% of all imported seafood is tested by the Food and Drug Administration.

Better seafood selection: Farmed oysters. They're one of the most sustainable seafood choices out there, actually help clean oceans, and contain trace minerals like zinc that can bolster your immune system. Oysters are filter feeders, so they actually make cleaner water on their own -- even when they're farmed. (Learn the difference between farmed and wild shrimp, and the safest sources.)

Some shrimp is loaded with chemicals.

Shrimp Shocker: With shrimp densely packed in shallow ponds, overseas aquatic farmers often dose them with high levels of antibiotics and pesticides -- including ones currently banned for use in the United States. In fact, investigations have turned up carcinogenic antibiotics like nitrofuranzone in shrimp at levels nearly 30 times higher than those allowed in food by the FDA. (Did you know that sugar can rival the toxicity found in imported seafood? Learn where sneaky sugar hides, along with its surprising sugar side effects.)

And you can't count on the government to keep these toxic shrimp out of U.S. grocery stores: According to a 2011 Government Accountability Office report, the FDA tested just 0.1% of imported seafood for chemical residues.

Better seafood selection: Domestic farmed clams. Because they are relatively young when harvested, they tend to avoid accumulating high levels of contaminants like older fish do, Sharpless says. And U.S. aquaculture regulations are more stringent than those of common shrimp farming countries.
Shrimp farming contributes to global warming.

Shrimp Shocker: Over the past 50 years, anywhere from 5 to 80% of the mangrove forests in Thailand, Ecuador, Indonesia, China, Mexico, and Vietnam (the five leading shrimp-farming countries) have been destroyed to make room for more coastal shrimp farms. Scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture have found that mangrove forests absorb and trap more climate-changing carbon dioxide than any other ecosystem on the planet, including rainforests. Mangroves also serve as nursery areas for other ocean creatures, and they help keep coasts secure by reducing flooding during storms.

Better seafood selection: Wild-caught Alaskan salmon. It's easier on the environment than farmed fish, low in contaminants, and loaded with brain- and heart-protecting omega-3 fatty acids. (Even if you think you're eating cruelty-free, you might not be. Explore how the food we eat really gets from farm to plate.)

Shrimp farms destroy local fishing economies.

Shrimp Shocker: After turning the tropical mangroves into polluted wasteland, shrimp farmers often abandon the industrial ponds and move on to cut down more mangrove forests for a fresh start. They leave behind pollution that not only degrades the environment, but also the prospects for artisanal fishermen.

Better seafood selection: Mussels. They're sustainably harvested, and are loaded with some of the highest naturally occurring levels of brain-protecting vitamin B12 on the planet. They also contain tract nutrients that help balance your mood, including zinc, iodine, and selenium.
Wild-caught shrimp harvesting is extremely wasteful.

Farmed shrimp have their problems, but wild-caught shrimp aren't always a much better alternative. Fisherman catch wild shrimp using fine-meshed trawl nets pulled through the water. Worldwide, for one pound of shrimp, there can be 5 pounds of bycatch -- other species that become trapped in the nets. Even here in the United States, Sharpless says 76% of marine life in the nets brought onboard during shrimp harvesting is not shrimp. "Most fish are damaged from being in the net, and many are discarded -- dead or dying -- overboard," he says. Nets routinely pull up 9,000 endangered or threatened sea turtles annually, in addition to sharks, red snappers, and other animals.

Better seafood selection: Sardines and anchovies. These small fish are generally caught without using destructive bottom trawling methods that can destroy centuries-old seafloor communities (and the livelihood of local fishing industries), Sharpless says.

If you must eat shrimp, buy shrimp harvested in the United States, since U.S. regulations tend to be stricter than those of common overseas shrimp farming countries. (Green up your life with these simple, painless ways to help out the environment. Bonus: you'll save money too.)

[downtoearth]

Mmmm - oysters!

[summer]

I refuse to read this, Pixy! Don't take my shrimps!!!

[Scout'sHonor]

Interesting. We've cut back just because H is starting to have allergic reactions to shrimp.

[cattledogkisses]

I hate shrimp. Cockroaches of the sea, I tell you.

Shellfish aquaculture is actually remarkably sustainable and environmentally friendly. There can sometimes be a lot of negativity associated with aquaculture, and finfish aquaculture (namely salmon) certainly has its problems, but shellfish aquaculture doesn't have the same issues.

I've collaborated on some research at an aquaculture facility here that grows oysters, and hard and soft shell clams. It's pretty neat.

[iammalcolmx]

Nov 19, 2013 14:59:33 GMT -5 summer said:

I refuse to read this, Pixy! Don't take my shrimps!!!

Shrimps though??  Next thing we know you are going to say " Fil-lets "

[pixy0stix]

I'm allergic to shrimp, so I had no qualms about posting.

[aurora]

Nov 19, 2013 15:00:16 GMT -5 cattledogkisses said:

I hate shrimp. Cockroaches of the sea, I tell you.

Shellfish aquaculture is actually remarkably sustainable and environmentally friendly. There can sometimes be a lot of negativity associated with aquaculture, and finfish aquaculture (namely salmon) certainly has its problems, but shellfish aquaculture doesn't have the same issues.

I've collaborated on some research at an aquaculture facility here that grows oysters, and hard and soft shell clams. It's pretty neat.

That seems to be inconsistent with the article, though.  It says that some shellfish (including oysters and clams) can be grown/harvested sustainably, but that shrimp often aren't. 

I did not know any of this beforehand, though, so thanks to pixy0stix for posting.

[meshaliuknits]

Damnit

[summer]

Nov 19, 2013 15:01:31 GMT -5 iammalcolmx said:

Nov 19, 2013 14:59:33 GMT -5 summer said:

I refuse to read this, Pixy! Don't take my shrimps!!!

Shrimps though??  Next thing we know you are going to say " Fil-lets "

  I could have said "scrimps".  I was trying to class it up!

[iammalcolmx]

NitaX  @soudesafinado  cookiemdough   please come get your girl summer talmbout scrimps!!

[MrsAxilla]

Shrimp are fucking nasty.

[pamela]

The Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board would be sad to see you generalize like that.

[Deleted]

Nov 19, 2013 15:01:31 GMT -5 iammalcolmx said:

Nov 19, 2013 14:59:33 GMT -5 summer said:

I refuse to read this, Pixy! Don't take my shrimps!!!

Shrimps though??  Next thing we know you are going to say " Fil-lets "

She could have said scrimps.

[Deleted]

Nov 19, 2013 15:40:39 GMT -5 summer said:

Nov 19, 2013 15:01:31 GMT -5 iammalcolmx said:

Shrimps though??  Next thing we know you are going to say " Fil-lets "

  I could have said "scrimps".  I was trying to class it up!

Clearly I should have finished the thread.

[cattledogkisses]

Nov 19, 2013 15:17:27 GMT -5 aurora said:

Nov 19, 2013 15:00:16 GMT -5 cattledogkisses said:

I hate shrimp. Cockroaches of the sea, I tell you.

Shellfish aquaculture is actually remarkably sustainable and environmentally friendly. There can sometimes be a lot of negativity associated with aquaculture, and finfish aquaculture (namely salmon) certainly has its problems, but shellfish aquaculture doesn't have the same issues.

I've collaborated on some research at an aquaculture facility here that grows oysters, and hard and soft shell clams. It's pretty neat.

That seems to be inconsistent with the article, though.  It says that some shellfish (including oysters and clams) can be grown/harvested sustainably, but that shrimp often aren't. 

I did not know any of this beforehand, though, so thanks to pixy0stix for posting.

I should have specified bivalves.

[Deleted]

I'm allergic so I don't eat them :-)

[aurora]

Nov 19, 2013 17:35:11 GMT -5 cattledogkisses said:

Nov 19, 2013 15:17:27 GMT -5 aurora said:

That seems to be inconsistent with the article, though.  It says that some shellfish (including oysters and clams) can be grown/harvested sustainably, but that shrimp often aren't. 

I did not know any of this beforehand, though, so thanks to pixy0stix for posting.

I should have specified bivalves.

That makes a lot more sense.  I was wondering if I was missing something.

[gpw]

GD it, pixy0stix!  You ruin EVERYTHING!!!!  No Ann Taylor, no Champion, no whatever else I can't remember and now no shrimp!?  

[pixy0stix]

I'm surprised that many of you didn't know this. Shrimp have been bad news for.ev.er.

[sushi]

For all things seafood I go to mbayaq. This is their info on shrimp. Bottom line, it's not 100% bad.

www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_search.aspx?s=shrimp

[savan]

This is why I pay a million dollars for seafood that comes from the U.S. And why we don't eat it very often.

[ringstrue]

Mmmm coconut shrimp....

Sorry what were we talking about?

[twotrue]

DD might disown me if I never give her shrimp again.

sent by phone

[EloiseWeenie]

Here's my favorite local shrimp boat

[forreals]

Nov 19, 2013 19:03:18 GMT -5 mr+ms said:

I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to shrimp. Anytime I've had shellfish I get a terrible stomach ache that doesn't relent until it comes back up. I always thought stomach upset and vomiting was kind of a questionable allergy symptom but I recently learned that it's a sign of a very strong reaction. oops!

I don't care, though, I think shrimp smells nasty. I kind of wish I could eat crab, though.

Did you know that shrimp and dust mite are cross reactive?

What does cross reactive mean?

[heliocentric]

Shrimp are disgusting. I'm gagging just thinking about them.

[pixy0stix]

Nov 19, 2013 19:03:18 GMT -5 mr+ms said:

I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to shrimp. Anytime I've had shellfish I get a terrible stomach ache that doesn't relent until it comes back up. I always thought stomach upset and vomiting was kind of a questionable allergy symptom but I recently learned that it's a sign of a very strong reaction. oops!

I don't care, though, I think shrimp smells nasty. I kind of wish I could eat crab, though.

Did you know that shrimp and dust mite are cross reactive?

This reaction is how I react to quinoa now. If you're allergic to shellfish, make sure you're ok with iodine as that's also cross reactive.