Learn About Summer Seafood

Celebrate America, Eat American

As we celebrate America this month, it’s a good time to reflect on the abundant cornucopia of food available from our land and seas. We should be proud to buy American-made products as well as American-grown or harvested food.

Though much of the seafood we eat in the United States is imported, this is a great time to learn about U.S. fish and shellfish. U.S. fisheries are known to be among the best managed in the world. That means when you buy domestic seafood, you can be confident that it is not only safe to eat but sustainable, as well.

What Is a Fishery?

The term “fishery” is used to talk about area of ocean – or farm – where fish are caught, but also refers to several aspects of the business of catching the fish. For example, the Alaska pollock fishery consists mostly within the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, and it is considered the largest fishery in the U.S. and second largest fishery in the world – which is based on size of catch and availability.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, U.S. marine fisheries are the largest in the world, covering 4.4 million square miles of ocean.

NOAA manages U.S. fisheries to:

· Sustain, protect, and increase domestic seafood supply.

· Maintain and enhance recreational and subsistence fishing opportunities.

· Protect ecosystem health and sustainability.

· Create jobs, support related economic and social benefits, and sustain community resilience.

And that work seems to be working, as NOAA has made great strides ending overfishing and rebuilding fish stocks. Overfishing and overfished numbers remain near record lows. Learn more about NOAA’s efforts and how to choose sustainable seafood at FishWatch.gov.

Our Shrimp Story

Here at Food Lion, we strive to offer the best quality seafood and have a strong culture of sourcing sustainable fish and shellfish. One amazing example of that is our local, wild-caught shrimp from North Carolina. We’re excited to tell the story of this fishery:

Wanchese Shrimp are wild caught in the Pamlico Sound – the farthest north that any warm-water shrimp can be found on the East Coast. In this 100-square-mile area, the fresh water from the Pamlico and Neuse rivers and salt water from the Atlantic Ocean mix together to produce brackish water. It is the unique water that gives the shrimp a sweet taste and firmer bite setting them apart from other shrimp.

Since 1936,  Wanchese Fish Company has been fishing the rich waters of North Carolina. There are two types of species harvested from this area: Brown Shrimp, available July thru August, and White Shrimp, which follow from September through October or November. Shrimp are available fresh in-season or individually quick frozen (IQF) year round. Food Lion carries the White Shrimp year round in our Frozen Seafood department.

Seasonal Recipe to Try with Wanchese Shrimp

Perfect for grilling season, this Grilled Garlic Herb Sausage, Shrimp and Veggies Foil Pack highlights the best vegetables, herbs and – of course – shrimp of the season.