PACIFIC WHITELEG SHRIMP
MORE ABOUT PACIFIC WHITELEG SHRIMP
The two warm-water species of Pacific Whiteleg Shrimp are Litopenaeus vannamei, with a habitat ranging from Mexico to northern Peru, and Litopenaeus stylirostris, which has a habitat ranging from California to Peru.
Pacific Whiteleg shrimp, also known as white shrimp, mature quickly and typically live up to a year. In the wild, young larvae live in the open ocean, while juvenile shrimp live in estuaries until maturation. The ocean floor is the habitat of mature white shrimp, who live in depths of up to a few hundred feet.
Wild Stocks Threatened
White shrimp are harvested in the wild by bottom trawling, a method of great concern as it causes significant damage to the ocean floor and also catches many other species unintentionally. Species threatened by bottom trawling include snapper and sea turtles, among others.
An alternative method of harvesting wild shrimp include using prawn traps which, while less likely to catch other species, is a prohibitively expensive method that still contributes to over-harvesting.
Non-ocean-impacting farms
A closed-containment, biosecure inland farm is the only 100% environmentally friendly and non-ocean-impacting method of responsibly raising Whiteleg shrimp. After years of research and development, Berezan Shrimp Company’s farm has a reputation for being environmentally friendly and sustainable.
Read about the future of aquaculture
On the Table
Pacific Whiteleg shrimp are among the most widely-consumed shrimp in the world. The texture of our white shrimp is tender and the taste when cooked is sweet and full of flavour.
