The terms shrimp and prawns are often used interchangeably. Some differentiate between the two based on size, with small to medium sized shrimp being referred to as shrimp and large, extra large and jumbo shrimp being referred to as prawns. Whatever you call them, having the right shrimp and prawns education and training will ensure the right handling and safety precautions for your business and staff to provide your consumer the best in service and product.

Shrimp and prawns education and training can be applicable to obtaining your permit, your license, learning about spawning, shrimp and prawn hatching, shrimp and prawn production, shrimp and prawn harvesting, transportation, stocking, management and other farm tasks as well as handling techniques for those who fish for shrimp and prawn.

To learn more about shrimp and prawns:

1. Learn about shrimp and prawn fishing and preparation.

2. Find out about prawn and shrimp safety.

3. Discover information on shrimp and prawn fisheries.

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Learn about fishing shrimp and prawns as well as preparing them

Find out how you can go fishing prawns and shrimp, and how to peel and devein them once you have caught them. Proper handling procedures for all steps will ensure safe and sanitary raw and cooked product for your consumers.

I recommend: Find out how to shrimp in Beaufort and Hilton Head Island from ivapUSA BeaufortUSA. Find out about how to catch them, shrimp baiting and how to cook them. Learn how to peel and devein shrimp from Simply Recipes.

Find out about shrimp and prawns safety information

Learn the ins and outs of proper selection, purchasing and storage of shrimp and prawns. Proper seafood safety will ensure reduced risk of illness.

I recommend: Helpwithcooking.com offers their Guide to Shrimp and Prawn with details on choosing, buying and storing fresh prawns. The University of Delaware Sea Grant College Program and the National Seafood HACCP Alliance gives advice on seafood safety through their Rhode Island Food Safety Education program.

Discover information about the shrimp farm

Find out about how prawn life is grown on the shrimp farm. Learn about the history and present day use of prawn farming.

I recommend: Find out more shrimp and prawn information from the United States Freshwater Prawn and Shrimp Growers Association. Find out information from the various state extension offices such as biology and life history, hatchery and nursery information as well as pond growout information. Kentucky State University offers free shrimp and prawn information including a downloadable 43-page prawn manual free pdf document.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you are in the prawn farming industry, consider becoming a part of a group or affiliation such as the United States Freshwater Prawn and Shrimp Growers Association mentioned above to take advantage of their association contacts and continuing education opportunities. Groups like these provide your shrimp fishery resources such as newsletters, links and other helpful information pertaining to their prawns farming closeknit community.

Most shrimp and prawn fisheries rely on shrimp distributors to buy their inventory. Becoming a shrimp distributor in your area involves selling different types of shrimp and prawns to restaurants, catering companies and individuals in your area.

Keeping a variety of shrimp and prawns in stock allows you to meet the needs of most customers. Keep these suggestions in mind when you order prawn and shrimp for your business:

1. Appeal to customers who need whole shrimp and prawns.

2. Accommodate customers who want fresh prawn and shrimp without having to clean them.

3. Offer frozen shrimp and prawns for customers who need a cheaper alternative to fresh shrimp.

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Sell whole fresh shrimp and prawns

Prawn and shrimp shipped whole, with the head intact, are often the freshest shrimp and prawns available. These are usually caught and shipped to you on the same day, especially if you order them from a freshwater prawn farm. Offering your customers

I recommend: A Gourmet Cajun Shop has Louisiana Gulf jumbo shrimp with the head still intact. It uses shrimp farming equipment to catch the shrimp without damaging them or the ecosystem. These shrimp are shipped fresh. This company also has peeled prawn and shrimp in small, medium, large or jumbo sizes. ALseafood.com is a shrimp fishery. It offers Gulf Coast shrimp in any size from extra small to colossal. They sell shrimp either with or without the head.

Offer cleaned fresh shrimp and prawns

For customers who want to use fresh shrimp and prawns in a recipe without having to clean them at all, cleaned shrimp are what you need. Many companies will peel and devein the shrimp before shipping them to you. In some cases, the shrimp may still have the tail section of the shrimp still attached. These are a perfect choice for shrimp cocktail. Make sure that you have a good variety of cleaned fresh shrimp and prawns to please almost any customer.

I recommend: Allen Brothers is a shrimp farm. It has jumbo and colossal shrimp. The shrimp are peeled and deveined by hand with the tail left on. This company ships them fresh. Legal Sea Foods is a gourmet shrimp distributor that works with shrimp and prawn fisheries in order to sell fresh shrimp and prawns year round. It offers many different packages. All of the shrimp and prawns this company sells are fully cleaned.

Keep frozen prawn and shrimp in stock

Frozen prawn and shrimp are usually sold without the head. This makes cleaning them easier for your customers. In some cases, the frozen shrimp and prawns are cooked before they are packaged. Sometimes, they are prepared for customers to cook, such as breaded shrimp ready for frying. Having frozen shrimp and prawns in stock allows you to serve customers who want a fast way to fix their seafood.

I recommend: FishEx offers headless flash frozen uncooked Alaska spot shrimp and prawns. The prawns and shrimp are flash frozen while the crew is still fishing. Prawns and shrimp are available in medium, large or jumbo. Charleston Seafood is a prawn farming company. It has a good selection of shrimp. They ship the shrimp either fresh or frozen, depending upon your preference. All of the shrimp are peeled and de-veined.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider selling items, like cocktail sauce, that compliment shrimp and prawns.
• •  If you sell your prawn and shrimp to local restaurants, make sure that you always have enough on hand to meet the needs of all of them in case of an unexpected rush. You can do this by having more than one reliable company from which you purchase your shrimp and prawns.

When it comes to shrimp and prawns, there is some confusion as to the differences between them. They look alike, but the shell formation of each is different. The second flap of the abdomen on a prawn overlaps the first to third flap, while a shrimp has all of its segments' flaps going the same direction. Shrimp and prawns are among the most popular types of seafood and are a healthy choice for inclusion in any diet. They are a great source of protein and antioxidants. Although shrimp and prawns are used interchangeably in regards to food, it's good to become familiar with the important terms for shrimp and prawns.

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Aquaculture

Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, shrimp, crustaceans and various plants. This is done using enhanced practices, which include feeding, stocking and predator protection.

I recommend: Information on aquaculture is available at World Aquaculture.

Pink shrimp

Pink shrimp make up the largest type of shrimp that are caught off the southern Florida waters. When these shrimp are cooked, their shells change to a deep pink shade. The meat of the shrimp is firm, has a mild flavor and is white with pink skin tones. It is the firm texture and mild flavor that make this shrimp's taste creamy and sweet.

I recommend: The National Marine Fisheries Service has information on pink shrimp.

White shrimp

White shrimp, which are found along the Florida coast as well, are shrimp that have a sweet taste along with a crunchy consistency. These shrimp are harvested in October through December and can grow as large as eight inches.

I recommend: At Favorite-Shrimp-Recipes, you will find white shrimp information, as well as recipes.

Brown shrimp

Brown shrimp have meat that is of a firmer texture than white shrimp and a significantly stronger flavor, which is due to the increased content of iodine. These shrimp can grow to an average of nine inches and are also found off the gulf coast of Florida.

I recommend: Brown shrimp information can be found at the Environmental Defense Fund.

Rock shrimp

Rock shrimp are also called 'the small lobster' and have a sweet taste and texture similar to a lobster. Due to the small size of these shrimp, they cook quickly and are great to include with pasta, rice or in salads.

I recommend: Moon's Seafood has extensive information.

Tiger prawns

Tiger prawns are the most cultivated prawns worldwide. These prawns are found in Southeast Asia and can grow to over a foot in length. They are the largest type of prawns.Tiger prawns are very oily and meaty and go well with garlic sauces and dry white wines.

I recommend: Quality Seafood Market's website contains a lot of useful information about tiger prawns.

When you decide to order shrimp and prawns for your business, you will have to consider the cost of each type. Some types take more preparation time and handling than others. For example, fresh shrimp have to be cleaned and deveined, while frozen shrimp generally don't.

In order to effectively prepare your budget to absorb the cost of these shellfish, you should consider the following shrimp and prawns pricing and costs guidelines:

1. Consider the cost of ordering fresh caught shrimp and prawns for your business.

2. Splurge on cleaned and deveined shrimp and prawns to minimize preparation time.

3. Consider purchasing frozen shrimp and prawns to make storage easy.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Check the price of fresh shrimp and prawns

Fresh prawn and shrimp are shipped the same day they are caught. The price you pay for these shrimp and prawns varies according to the size of the shrimp and the method used to catch them. Fisheries that use environmentally friendly shrimp farming equipment and methods generally charge more per pound to compensate for the cost of the equipment.

I recommend: A Gourmet Cajun Shop catches Louisiana Gulf jumbo shrimp using environmentally friendly methods. They charge around $90 for five pounds. These shrimp are sold with the head still intact and they are shipped fresh. ALseafood.com offers shrimp for under $8 per pound. This shrimp fishery offers Gulf Coast shrimp in any size.

Consider cleaned shrimp and prawns

In an effort to minimize the amount of preparation time for the shrimp, you should consider purchasing cleaned shrimp and prawns. These shrimp are usually sold without the head and they are deveined.

I recommend: Allen Brothers sells jumbo and colossal shrimp starting at around $80 for two pounds. Legal Sea Foods sells cleaned shrimp and prawns. This shrimp distributor sells the shrimp for around $25 per pound year round.

Opt for frozen shrimp and prawns

The price you will pay for frozen shrimp is dependent upon the size and the freezing location of the shrimp and prawns at the prawn farm. Some companies flash freeze shrimp and prawns on site while they are fishing prawns. These shrimp and prawns are usually priced higher than those that are caught and brought to a shrimp farm on shore to freeze.

I recommend: Always Fresh Fish offers flash frozen shrimp and prawns. Prices start at around $8 per pound for medium shrimp. Ed's Kasilof Seafoods is a prawn farming company. You can expect to pay between $12 and $20 per pound for flash frozen shrimp and prawns.