new fishing gear and markets mean big shrimp on the Seacoast

Shrimp exist in great abundance in the Gulf of Maine. In a single trip, a fisherman can easily catch 7,000 pounds of shrimp without traveling more than three miles from the New Hampshire coast.

“When I say there’s a lot of shrimp out there, I’m not kidding you,” says Ken La Valley, of N.H. Sea Grant.

Local fishermen hope to take advantage of the abundant stock, but they face a number of challenges. Low worldwide shrimp prices and the availability of preprocessed shrimp from Canada make it difficult for the local fishery to compete.

But new gear technology that helps fishermen control the size of the shrimp they catch will result in a more enticing local product this winter. That product will be available through local markets and a community supported fishery program in January and February.

The new gear, developed by Pingguo He of the UNH Cooperative Extension, consists of a size-sorting grid system for shrimp fishing nets. Fishing vessels are already required to use a Nordmore grate, which allows finfish and other by-catch to escape from the net. He’s system adds a second grate that allows small shrimp to pass through while capturing the targeted large shrimp.

The dual-grate system first directs shrimp through the new size-sorting grid, which is like a barred window with bars spaced less than an inch apart. Small shrimp slip through the bars while larger specimens continue to the Nordmore grate, where fish can exit through an escape vent. According to La Valley, the process significantly reduces the shrimp count per pound, resulting in 40 to 50 shrimp per pound.

“It really reduces the count per pound and it virtually eliminates any by-catch,” La Valley said. “It allows them to catch larger, more valuable or at least more desirable shrimp.”

The system also allows smaller shrimp to stay in the water and continue reproducing for another year, thereby ensuring that the stock remains robust.

New Hampshire’s 12 to 15 active shrimp fishing vessels have been using the new gear since the season began on Dec. 1, La Valley said. He recently met with fishermen at Cape Ann in Gloucester, Mass., who are also interested in adopting the technology. 

But creating a local shrimp economy is a separate challenge. In order to catch shrimp, fishermen need to spend money on fuel and crew members, and there’s no guarantee that they’ll turn a profit.

“They don’t get much money for these shrimp. If it becomes not worth their while to go out, they won’t go,” La Valley said.
In the past, northern New England was flooded with cheap shrimp from Newfoundland, but stocks there have dwindled recently, which La Valley characterized as great news for fishermen in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts. Still, maintaining the local fish market will require demand from consumers.

“There has to be a change in people’s buying behavior and preferences. It really comes down to people making a conscious choice to buy local,” La Valley said.

Many people have already made that choice. Some winter farmers’ markets began offering local shrimp last winter, and the Yankee Fisherman’s Cooperative is launching an eight-week community supported fishery for northern shrimp in January. According to LaValley, about 150 people have already signed up to participate in the winter CSF, paying in advance to essentially become shareholders in the catch.

A full share in the CSF includes 10 pounds of whole shrimp per week for a total cost of $128 ($1.60 per pound), while a half share includes five pounds per week at $72 ($1.80 per pound). Pickup locations shift each week between Durham, Exeter and Rollinsford, plus the Fishermen’s Cooperative in Seabrook. Those interested in participating should visit www.yankeefish.com.

There are no processing facilities for shrimp in New Hampshire, meaning customers at the farmers’ markets and CSF must peel and prepare their own shrimp. La Valley said the UNH Cooperative Extension is organizing a festival at the Thompson School to show people how to prepare, cook and freeze shrimp. An exact date has not been decided, but it will probably be sometime in January, he said.