Monday, May 3, 2010

Gulf Prawn Crisis

As you may well be very aware we have had and are having a oil spill in the gulf of mexico. the issue is on the sea floor an estimated five thousand feet down, and as near as i can tell no one has any idea how to stop it. today i read that it is leaking a presumable 5000 barrels of raw crude oil a day into the gulf. that topped with the fact that lousianna shrimp season was to open in the last few days means disaster for that already struggling part of the country. the way it works is my purveyors bought enough prawns last year to get them through the winter, if they purchased effectively then their stocks should be very much depleted by this point, waiting for this seasons harvest to start coming. i use a 16-20 white mexican wild gulf prawn at work. i would love to use a fresh prawn but their availbilty is very limited. i do get them once or twice a year. 16-20 refers to the count per pound. in the past we have used black tiger prawns that are farmed in places like bangladesh, but after some research we decided that we could buy a better prawn, granted it is more expensive but they are farmed much more sustainably. this issue will create problems for this season and will affect prawn prices across the world thanks to supply and demand. so my choice is to buy an inferior product for more money than its worth. gotta find a solution. i contacted purveyors yesterday and negotiated a bulk buy. so on friday we will take receipt of 15 30# cases of prawns that will go into my freezer. it was an expensive decision, but should save us money in the long run, and allow me to serve the product my customers expect. i was the first to negotiate a deal, get all the right peoples blessing and approval and work a sweet deal. while prawn prices are going to affect me most, the industry is also heavy in oysters, crab, and all sorts of fin fish. my thoughts go out to the people and wildlife affected by this, and i sincerely hope we can solve and repair any damages as soon as possible and hold the proper people accountable.

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