When you sit down to enjoy a meal at a seafood restaurant, do you think about where your fish, crab, or other favorite dish came from? Many people love classic fried shrimp, for instance, but don’t realize that shrimp probably originated in another country. In fact, about 91 percent of all the seafood we eat is imported, says John Jensen, professor and interim director of the AU School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences.
Is this a problem for the U.S. seafood industry? Absolutely. However, the industry is combatting this and other challenges and remains critical to our economy—particularly in the Gulf of Mexico region, which includes Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, West Florida, and Texas.
In 2012, commercial fishermen in the Gulf region landed 1.7 billion pounds of finfish and shellfish, earning $763 million in landings revenue, according to the Fisheries Economics of the U.S. (2012) Gulf Region report. Landings revenue was dominated by shrimp ($392 million) and menhaden ($87 million). Although the shrimp is destined for human palates, menhaden is not considered fit for human consumption and is ground into fish meal and oil for use in pet foods, livestock and aquaculture feeds, and various industrial products.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Auburn University College of Agriculture