By Tricia Pursell
The Daily Item
---- — While shrimpers in the Gulf of Mexico took to the waters on Monday for the beginning of the first commercial shrimp season since the BP oil spill disaster four months ago, Valley grocers and restaurant owners offered assurance that their shrimp will be safe to consume.
Giant Food Stores LLC is planning to procure shrimp from the Gulf region soon. According to Chris Brand, consumer affairs and community relations manager for the chain, the shelves should be stocked with a consistent supply of it, beginning in mid-September.
"We always work closely with our reputable suppliers to ensure that the product being harvested meets our rigid specifications and are harvested from federally inspected and approved waters," Brand said. "We do everything we can to ensure that we are protecting food safety and purchasing seafood from sustainable sources."
Dennis Curtin, director of public relations for Weis Markets Inc., said, "We're hearing that the inspection process is being stepped up in the Gulf."
Suppliers are making inspections on their own, as well, he said.
A very small percentage of the shrimp sold at Weis Markets comes from Gulf sources, such as the store's Signature Key West Shrimp, which is fished sustainably and comes from the Key West part of the Gulf, which, Curtin said, has not been impacted by the oil spill.
Brand said most of Giant's fresh snapper, tuna and swordfish comes from the lower Caribbean and Mexico regions, which have also not been affected by the spill. The stores also offer seafood from the coasts of Maryland and Virginia.
In anticipation of customers who will have questions and concerns, Brand said Giant store associates are regularly being provided with information.
While most of the seafood, including the shrimp, that is served at Ye Olde Meeting Place in Milton, comes from the Baltimore area, a small percentage of it is also purchased through food providers that obtain it from the Gulf region.
"We probably will again, if they say everything is safe," said owner Gary Smith. "We won't serve anything that isn't safe."
He said he will try it himself, if there are any concerns, to make sure it's OK.
BP's Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on April 20, killing 11 workers and triggering a spill that eventually spewed 206 million gallons of oil into the Gulf waters, according to The Associated Press.
Shrimp prices immediately rose all across the nation as a result, as people feared it would soon be unavailable.
Smith estimates the prices for the seafood his restaurant purchases went up about a quarter as soon as the oil disaster happened.
"In general, demand for East Coast product is driving some prices up due to limited supply," added Brand.
The manager of Hoss's Steak & Sea House in Shamokin Dam said the restaurant has continued to sell a lot of shrimp.
Curtin said Weis Markets' shrimp sales are down slightly this year, and though the Gulf spill could be a reason, he blames the economy as well.
"Customers in general are very cautious with their spending these days," he said. "We've seen higher prices for shrimp — but while the Gulf spill is a factor, there have been production problems in other parts of the world which have significantly impacted the world's overall shrimp supply."
n E-mail comments to tpursell@dailyitem.com.
