Fisheries and Oceans Canada
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Shrimp
Species at a Glance
Canada exports more cold water shrimp than any other country in the world and shrimp is Canada’s third most valuable shellfish export. The northern shrimp is by far the most abundant of the 30 shrimp species found in the Canadian Atlantic, representing approximately 97 percent of the overall commercial fishery in the region. The major markets for Canadian shrimp are Europe (UK and Russia), Asia (Japan and China) and the United States.
Canada’s shrimp populations are healthy and sustainably managed. Annual fishing quotas are in line with science advice to maintain the future health of the populations.
| Landings: | Over the past decade, total shrimp landings peaked at 185,974 tonnes in 2007 and have declined modestly since then. In 2010, 112,049 metric tonnes of shrimp were harvested in Atlantic Canada. |
| Value: | In 2010, the overall export value for Canadian shrimp was $273.7 million. |
| Abundance Status and Trends: | Abundance and biomass indices increased greatly in the late 1990s, reaching record high levels in 2006. Although stocks are down in the more southerly extent of the range, they remain in good condition. Landings are above the average over the last 15 years. |
| Fisheries: | There are 15 Shrimp Fishery Areas in Eastern Canada. The inshore fishery operates from the spring to fall, while offshore vessels harvest throughout the year. |
| Conservation Measures: | Measures include: minimum trawl mesh size, mandatory requirement to use the Nordmore sorting grate on all shrimp fishing trawls to minimize by-catch, at-sea monitoring by fishery observers, and dockside monitoring. |
Species Background
Shrimp are crustaceans with a hard outer shell that they must periodically shed (or moult) in order to grow. They are found mainly on soft and muddy bottoms, typically between 150 and 600 metres below sea level. Shrimp are distributed throughout the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
In the more northern areas, shrimp are thought to live longer than 8 years, while those in the south probably live for only 6 or 7 years. Shrimp mature at about age two, maturing first as males and then at about age four, changing into females. Shrimp can grow to about 15 to 16 cm in total length, although the average size is about half this. They are considered harvestable once their carapace reaches 18 mm in length, when they are approximately 3 years of age
Shrimp are an important part of the marine food chain. Shrimp feed on a variety of zooplankton and are major prey for groundfish species, especially cod, hake, redfish, Greenland halibut and flounder.
Fisheries
There are 15 Shrimp Fishery Areas in Eastern Canada, between the Gulf of St. Lawrence off the Scotian Shelf, Northwestern Newfoundland and Labrador, and in the Davis Strait.
The inshore fishery normally operates from the spring to fall. The offshore vessels harvest all year in the Atlantic. Canada’s shrimp harvesters employ otter trawls with a minimum mesh size of 40 mm. Traps are only used in Shrimp Fishery Area 15.
The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization provides recommendations on annual catch quotas for Shrimp Fishery Areas 1 and 7, while the total allowable catch quotas for the other Shrimp Fishery Areas within Canadian waters are set by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. For Shrimp Fishery Area 13, 14 & 15, DFO receives recommendations from the Eastern Scotian Shelf Shrimp Advisory Committee before setting annual quotas. There is no recreational fishing within the Atlantic Canada shrimp fishery.
The fishery by vessels greater than 100 feet produce mainly frozen-at-sea products (cooked and raw) with the shell on, while vessels less than 100 feet land fresh shrimp that is processed in fish plants into a cooked and peeled product.
The following shrimp fisheries (Shrimp Fishery Areas) have received Marine Stewardship Council eco-certification:
- Northern Shrimp Fishery, inshore and offshore (Shrimp Fishery Areas 5-10 and 12 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence)
- Scotian Shelf Shrimp Fishery (Shrimp Fishery Areas 13, 14 and 15).
Shrimp Fishing Areas in Atlantic Canada
Source: DFO
Shrimp landings – Historical View:
Shrimp landings and Total Allowable Catches (1990-2009). Source: DFO
Conservation Measures
All shrimp fisheries in eastern Canada are subject to a range of management measures designed to promote the sustainability of the shrimp resource, to minimize potential by-catch of other species, and to protect biodiversity in the fishery area. Regulations include:
- annual quotas in the form of total allowable catch;
- individual quotas for both the inshore and offshore sectors;
- limited entry licencing;
- a minimum 40 mm mesh size, which prevents younger shrimp from being caught;
- mandatory use of a sorting grate to minimize by-catch of non-target species;
- closing some areas to trawling to protect sensitive species such as corals;
- discarding rules;
- at-sea monitoring by fishery observers on all trips by the large vessel fleet;
- at-sea monitoring by fishery observers on a prescribed percentage, by region, of the small vessel fleet’s trips; and
- dockside monitoring of all shrimp landings from vessels under 100 feet in length.
All shrimp trawlers must be fitted with a Nordmore separator grate (see image). This grate significantly reduces by-catches of groundfish by directing them towards an exit triangle in the upper panel of the gear. In 1997, the offshore fleet was awarded a Nova Scotia Environmental Award for its efforts to reduce by-catch.
Nordmore Grate. Source: DFO
Population Estimates
The most recent shrimp assessment shows the following for 2009:
- Northern Gulf of St. Lawrence: stock abundance indicators were higher than the mean from 1990 to 2008 but some showed a decrease relative to 2007 levels.
- Scotian Shelf: the abundance appears to have remained high since 2004.
- Newfoundland and Labrador: in recent years, the resource has been decreasing in the south but remains stable or increasing in the north.
