If you love delicious Gulf shrimp from Biloxi Shrimp Co., you may be wondering about how they are actually caught. The art of shrimping, along with the processing and shipping of wild-caught American shrimp have all been important cornerstones to the growth and vitality of our city and our region.
Early Shrimping
Indigenous people in the Biloxi area certainly included shrimp, crab and fish in their diet, and there is evidence they used traps created from branches, Spanish moss and other plants. Cajun people in southern Mississippi are known to have caught shrimp using nets imported from France in the 1700s. Back in these times, shrimp were preserved by drying them in the sun!
Shrimp Trawls
The large nets pulled behind a shrimping boat are called a trawl. These are wider at the front and taper toward the back. The mechanisms of the trawls have improved over time, but the main type of trawl used for shrimping, the otter trawl, has been used along the coast since the early 1900s. So-called otter boards attached to the mouth of the net keep it open while it's dragged near the ocean floor, where the shrimp are located. Weights and buoys help keep the trawl net open. Shrimp boats use a chain that hangs in front of the net, called a tickler chain, to move the shrimp into the trawl net.
Trawls used in the Gulf of Mexico are required to use sea turtle excluder devices and bycatch reduction devices, reducing the number of fish and larger ocean wildlife that are captured by the nets. Commercial fishing for wild-caught U.S. shrimp avoids areas with coral reefs to help preserve these vital underwater ecosystems. All of this goes toward promoting sustainability!
Shrimp Boats
Technological innovation has helped shrimping develop and expand over the years. When diesel engines began seeing use in shrimp boats in the 1920s, shrimpers were able to expand the areas where they fished, venturing farther away from home. This innovation also allowed for power winches to be used. Hauling in the trawls is tough work and requires a large crew when done by hand, but with motorized winches, the nets can be retrieved with smaller crews.
Further structural innovations in boats and engines made it possible for shrimpers to haul heavier nets and handle rougher seas. Electronic technologies, such as GPS and radar, help to find shrimp more efficiently.
Shrimp Processing
Eventually, canneries were built in Biloxi and became an important part of the economy. Biloxi shrimp were shipped around the world and grew in popularity. Nowadays, state-of-the-art processing operations provide clean, fresh frozen Gulf shrimp to restaurants, retail customers and private cooks. Modern frozen storage facilities and fast shipping methods provide Gulf shrimp feasts for your table, no matter where you live. That includes us at Biloxi Shrimp Co.!
Click here to order mouthwatering wild-caught shrimp straight from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.