Supply Chain Roundtable
US Gulf Shrimp
From 2014 to 2023, the US Gulf Shrimp Supply Chain Roundtable (SR) comprised leading US shrimp processors and distributors who monitored sustainability status and issues in US shrimp fisheries and drove further improvements. In 2023, the SR decided to pursue an environmental sustainability certification for the Gulf shrimp fishery and asked the American Shrimp Processors Association (ASPA) to serve as the client group on behalf of the entire Gulf shrimp industry. ASPA now serves the role of the Supply Chain Roundtable, and SFP continues to provide actionable information and advice on sustainability issues.
In July 2024, the white, brown, and pink Gulf shrimp fisheries achieved Responsible Fisheries Management Certification, becoming the first shrimp fishery certified to the RFM Standard. Achieving RFM certification was a culmination of years of collaboration and fishery improvement work among the shrimp industry, management agencies, and NGOs. For 15 years, multiple industry-led fishery improvement projects (FIPs), supported by SFP, the Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Supply Chain Roundtable, Audubon Nature Institute, and Texas Sea Grant, worked diligently to implement the changes needed in the fishery to prepare it to pursue and successfully achieve RFM Certification.
Participating companies
Click here to see a list of ASPA member companies.
5 Completed US Gulf shrimp FIPs
37 ASPA member shrimp processors
100 % US Gulf Shrimp production certified
Learn more about this Roundtable
To learn more, please contact Megan Westmeyer or call SFP at 1-808-726-2582.
Q3 2025 Update
- The RFM Certification surveillance audit took place in July, and a draft report was shared with ASPA in September. The assessment team does not have any significant concerns, and the actions to resolve the non-conformances are on track; thus, they recommend continued certification.
- View the full history of this SR’s activities.
Sector Background
Currently, about 7 percent of global large shrimp production is considered sustainable or improving. The large shrimp sector includes farmed shrimp, wild warmwater shrimp, and larger coldwater shrimp such as Argentine red shrimp and spot prawns. Species are typically larger than 100 shrimp per pound in body size. About two-thirds of global large shrimp production is farmed.
Although wild-caught shrimp are not the main source of global supply in the large-shrimp sector, the US Gulf shrimp fisheries (contributing only around 1 percent of global production) are an important source near the United States, one of the major markets for large shrimp.
Activity & Workplan
The focus of this SR is addressing current sustainability issues to maintain Responsible Fishery Management Certification. The two primary issues currently being addressed are endangered species (smalltooth sawfish and giant manta ray) interaction information and Alabama state management objectives. For more information, see the Responsible Fishery Management Certification profile for this fishery.
Learn more about this Roundtable
To learn more, please contact Megan Westmeyer or call SFP at 1-808-726-2582.