Shrimping ain't easy.
That's the message from the Louisiana Shrimp Association, which says the local shrimp industry is falling on hard times, with a number of Louisiana shrimp boats remaining docked three weeks into the season.
Louisiana Shrimp Association president Acy Cooper says it’s a sign of troubled times for the industry.
“We can’t compete because of high prices of fuel, high prices of equipment and low-price shrimp," Cooper said. "There’s no way we’re going to make it,” Cooper said.
Cooper says the industry's troubles are so bad that his organization is asking the Trump Administration to put limits on the amount of shrimp that can be imported into the United States.
According to one industry analyst, Cooper's concern concerns are well-founded.
"They're not in a great spot," LSU Ag Center shrimp specialist Jeffrey Plumlee said, noting that the United States imports more than 90 percent of the shrimp consumed in the country, driving down prices for locally-caught shrimp.
What's more, Plumlee says the industries that support local shrimpers are fading away, further slowing the local shrimp industry.
"Ice plants (and) shrimp processers have been in decline over the past five years as those industries are starting to be lost on the landscape," Plumlee said. "There's a lot of reasons why it's tough to be a shrimper right now."
Plumlee also cites environmental factors for the industry's decline.
"It's difficult to live on the coast, and it's not as profitable to be in the shrimping industry right now," Plumlee said.
However, Plumlee believes the local shrimp industry could make a comeback with some help from consumers.
"We can't really control the price of diesel," Plumlee said. "We can't all open ice houses and processing plants to help support our fishermen, but what we can do is go out and buy Louisiana shrimp. I think if we can do that to a better degree than we have, our Louisiana shrimpers will be in a better spot."
