This little sign of the times is from an email that the Harris Teeter grocery chain sent out to members of the Fresh Catch Club yesterday morning:
This week’s Fresh Catch feature item is fresh wild caught 13-17ct Head-On Gulf White Shrimp, harvested from the crystal clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf white shrimp are just starting their summer season. These shrimp are plump and juicy, waiting to be grilled on the Bar-B-Que. They also make an excellent shrimp cocktail or just about any Shrimp dish you can think of. Harris Teeter strives to deliver the highest quality and safest seafood available. The Gulf oil spill has severely affected the shrimp and the seafood industry in Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. Although Texas has not been impacted by the oil spill, the best way we can support this industry is by buying Gulf seafood. And you will only find it at Harris Teeter Fishermans (sic) Market. Satisfaction guaranteed or we’ll double your money back with your VIC card.
Note that they don’t actually say where the shrimp are actually from. They are clearly implying they’re from unaffected Texas. But they don’t actually say so, do they?
Also, the shrimp are on sale at the exact same price these 13-17 head-on shrimp used to come on sale at, back when nobody had heard of Deepwater Horizon. If you think that Harris Teeter is paying the same price now for Gulf shrimp that they used to pay last season, I’ve got some plump and juicy Gulf shrimp I’d like to sell you. Smell-tested by trained scientists, and everything.