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Image: Mississippi State University Extension
The U.S. Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery, which includes white, brown, and pink shrimp from all five Gulf of Mexico states and federal waters, has become the first shrimp fishery to achieve Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) Certification. It joins the Pacific Whiting fishery and eight Alaska fisheries that are RFM-certified based on internationally recognized criteria from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The third-party certification body Global Trust awarded the certification, which is owned and managed by The Certified Seafood Collaborative (CSC), after thoroughly evaluating the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery in four key areas: the fisheries management system; science and stock assessment activities, the precautionary approach; management measures, implementation, monitoring, and control, and serious impacts of the fishery on the ecosystem.
According to the official announcement, the certification is a testament to the fishery’s commitment to the long-term health of the Gulf shrimp ecosystem, the communities that depend on it, and the customers seeking sustainable seafood. It is the culmination of years of collaboration and fishery improvement work by the shrimp industry, management agencies, and NGOs. Multiple industry-led Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs), supported by Sustainable Fisheries Partnership and the Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Supply Chain Roundtable, Audubon Nature Institute, and Texas Sea Grant, worked diligently for 15 years to implement changes needed to the fishery to enable it to achieve RFM Certification successfully.
“Congratulations to the American Shrimp Processors Association (ASPA) and the entire Gulf of Mexico shrimp industry for meeting RFM’s comprehensive fishery standard. As the largest shrimp fishery in the U.S., it’s a testament to its sound fisheries management and commitment to the sustainability of their fishery,” said Mark Fina, CSC RFM Board Chair.