The next catch

In this state where seafood enjoys cultural primacy, shrimp is the unofficial poster child, thanks to its lengthy season, hefty harvest and culinary versatility. Louisiana is the No. 1 shrimp producer in the United States, with shrimpers hauling in more than 114 million pounds annually from the Gulf of Mexico to supply waiting restaurants, seafood markets and consumers. The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in April of last year led to one of the worst years on record for the industry. But it is beginning to recover in 2011, says shrimp producer Harlon Pearce, chair of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board. “We’re off, but not dramatically, from 2009,” Pearce says. “The cold weather and too much freshwater in some areas slowed things down at the beginning of the season, but we’re expecting it to pick up.” Click here to read more.