Traditional aquaculture much like other types of farming practices, traces its roots back thousands of years. These early shrimp farmers developed a balanced ecosystem where small numbers of shrimp coexisted in ecological harmony with other fish species. This type of early fish farming could yield approximately 450 pounds of shrimp per acre in a good year. Today, due to high global demand for shrimp, rice fields, salt beds and fishponds have been converted to industrial shrimp farms. According to a report done by the US environmental organization Food & Water Watch, today’s corporate run shrimp operations can produce as much as 89,000 pounds / acre. That’s 200 times more shrimp per acre then the small traditional aqua cultures. As with many other industrial animal farming operations, our ability to purchase this low cost food comes with hidden costs to our health and the environment.

In order for these industrial-scale shrimp producers to have ‘healthy’ farms, they rely on large doses of antibiotics and pesticides to reduce the numbers of diseases and parasites forming from overcrowded shrimp pools. Although it is illegal for North American shrimp farmers to use antibiotics to control disease, it is not illegal in many other parts of the world. Most of the shrimp found in restaurants and grocery stores is mass produced by numerous overseas suppliers. We rarely know where the shrimp we are eating is being farmed. The result is we ingest an invisible shrimp cocktail of chemicals. The public, as well as the Canadian government would love to put a stop to the import of these illegal food products, however Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) only has adequate human resources to inspect five percent of imported shrimp that is actually imported.

In the past 10 years, antibiotic-resistant Salmonella from fresh shrimp farms in Asia has been suggested as a possible cause of a number of salmonella outbreaks. As a result, Thailand has officially banned the use of unsafe antibiotics in aquaculture. Has this solved the problem of imported toxic shrimp? An excellent investigation on Shrimp farming conducted by students from UBC’s Graduate School of Journalism,  found that as recently as October 2010 shipments of shrimp from Thailand were turned away at our Canadian boarders for containing nitrofuran, an antibiotic shown in animal studies to have carcinogenic properties.

The news is not all bad though. According to David Suzuki’s Sustainable Seafood Guide, wild Spot Prawns caught in Canadian Pacific waters are a sustainable choice. Sustainable spot prawns are caught by trap to minimize the environmental damage inflicted by net fishing which can inadvertently catch and kill many other marine animals along with the intended prawn catch. Because they are wild, one does not have to worry about chemical contamination such as antibiotics, and due to their low level on the food chain, they contain very little if any mercury and are safe enough for even pregnant women to enjoy 2-3 times per week.

What about Cholesterol??

Long before we worried about possible environmental toxins in shrimp, many people were concerned about the ‘high’ cholesterol content of many shellfish. Although many food types such as dairy products, egg yolks, beef, poultry and shrimp contain cholesterol, these foods may in fact not influence a person’s blood cholesterol as much as we once thought.

Cholesterol, a type of fat made in our liver and the liver of all animals actually has important cellular functions and is a key component in our bodies’ formation of steroids such as testosterone and vitamin D. This makes it essential for all animal life. It is the body’s excess cholesterol that can over years build up in blood vessels and restrict blood flow to such critical organs as the heart and brain, that contributes to an increased risk of heart attacks or strokes.

Although it was once believed that diets high in cholesterol contribute to this risk, it is now clear that it is not the amount of cholesterol we eat but the amount and type of fat we consume especially trans- and saturated fats, that affects our blood cholesterol levels the most. Saturated fat is present in full fat dairy products, animal fats, some oils and chocolate. Trans fat is most often found in hydrogenated vegetable fat such as certain margarines, and is in many processed and baked goods.

So what does the medical community recommend? As with many recommendations they may differ slightly depending on the organization or country. While the Canadian Heart and Stroke Association does not suggest limiting cholesterol intake, other agencies such as the Mayo clinic in the US recommends less then 300 mg of dietary cholesterol per day. No matter who’s guidelines you choose to follow, with the average 75 g serving of cooked shrimp containing only 150 mg of cholesterol per serving and less then one gram of fat, lucky for us, they are still a healthy choice!

Although your cholesterol levels should be monitored by your doctor and may require medical treatment if elevated, most otherwise healthy people with high cholesterol can manage their levels with diet and exercise and do not need to be on cholesterol-lowering medications.

Current guidelines do recommend medical treatment for individuals who may not have heart disease but who have significant risk factors for developing it. These include individuals who have high blood pressure, diabetes, or who smoke. Aggressive medical treatment is also recommended for individuals with known heart disease or who have already suffered a heart attack.

Regardless of your cholesterol levels, a healthy diet can include certain cholesterol-containing foods. In this context, Spot prawns caught in the Canadian Pacific by trap, with their low fat, high protein and delicious taste are an excellent choice that fits well in to a healthy diet. Remember- moderation is still key, so rather than reaching for that extra serving of prawns, add an extra scoop of veggies to your plate. Your health and our oceans will be thankful for it!

Written by: Lori Petryk, RD, MSc, & David Hadley MD

Lori can be seen weekly hosting “Good for You, Good for Our Earth” a nutrition and sustainable food segment on SHAW TV.  Dr. David Hadley is an Emergency Physician in Calgary Alberta.

See: www.goodforyouandearth.com

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