Eat Louisiana Shrimp
Posted by bellastraniera - 01/06/10 at 11:06 am To answer the question that’s on everyone’s mind: yes, there is still excellent seafood to be had in New Orleans. Much of it is top quality shrimp, crawfish, blue crab, and much of it is local. Though National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has closed 60,000 square miles in the Gulf of Mexico to commercial fishing to date, 75 percent of federal waters are still safe for the shrimp and shrimpers that make their livelihood on the Gulf. As Food Safety News reports, all of the waters directly affected by the spill remained closed to commercial and recreational fishing, so no seafood from the region is at risk of oil contamination.
In other words, don’t add insult to injury by postponing or canceling a trip to Louisiana because of the oil spill. The kind folks down there will make sure you are extremely well fed during your visit. Shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo, shrimp etouffee, shrimp remoulade and shrimp sandwiches are still on the menu. If there is excellent wild shrimp anywhere in the area (including Lake Pontchartrain), Louisianans will find it.
Americans also shouldn’t assume the impact of this disaster is limited to Gulf states. Nearly half the nation’s domestic seafood comes from the Gulf area, and every time BP fails to seal off the oil spill, the area of federal waters closed to commercial fishing increases. The longer-term impact on shrimp and fish lifecycles in the region is still unknown.
In the meantime, do what you can to support Gulf fishermen by buying wild-caught domestic shrimp – which have far less pollutants and do far less environmental damage than unregulated farmed or wild-caught shrimp from China, Mexico and other developing nations.
Buy wild domestic shrimp at Fresh Direct.
Future updates about the safety of Gulf seafood can be found here:
Food Safety News: Gulf Oil Spill
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bellastraniera
a.k.a. Marcy Swingle - obsessed with food and fashion.
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