Q: On Page B6 in the April 10 Atlanta Journal-Constitution, there was an article about a delay in the Georgia shrimp season. Yet, I bought shrimp at Kroger labeled Georgia White Shrimp Wild Caught on April 9. What did I really buy?
-- Paul Oziem, Lawrenceville
A: The “Wild Georgia Shrimp” certification carries a logo and indicates that certain criteria related to catch, storage and transportation are met, Lauren M. Curry, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, told Q&A on the News. The shrimp purchased may have been frozen from the 2010 harvest or caught recently offshore in federal waters adjacent to Georgia state waters. Federal waters are open to shrimping all year. If the “Wild Georgia Shrimp” logo was not present on the package or visible somewhere at the counter, the shrimp are probably from some other source. “We’ve seen companies advertising domestic shrimp, but in reality, they are imports that are processed and packaged as domestic shrimp,” Curry wrote in an e-mail. She said the key is having the “Wild Georgia Shrimp” logo, and more information about the program is available at www.wildgeorgiashrimp.com. Department of Natural Resources biologists monitor Georgia shrimp populations each month. With the completion of the May data, DNR staff plans to meet with members of the Shrimp Advisory Panel to discuss when Georgia’s food shrimp harvest season will open.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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